The table above shows all of the counts for sparrows and juncos for 15 years of the Dixon CBC. (The House Sparrow, which is not in the same family as the other sparrows, is included because the grouping is about identification of species that appear similar in the field.)
The "Individuals" column at the right shows that there were 13,344 sparrows and juncos counted in 15 years.
The next column shows the percentage of that total represented by each species. More than 99% of all sparrows and juncos were accounted for by just 4 species.
The table below compares those four species.
External Links in table below: | |
(Remote sites open in a new window.) | |
Cornell | Opens Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds site's species account in a new browser window. This site offers detailed information on every species including sound recordings. |
USGS | Opens the USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter species account in a new browser window. Includes BBS and CBC maps, ID Tips and Taxonomy for each species. |
Image Search | Shows the results of a Google image search for the species. |
All Photographs by Robert Templeton unless otherwise noted. Copyright Information. |
English Name: Genus species: | Comments | Photos |
Sparrows and their Allies in Winter | ||
These four species account for 99.92% of all Sparrows and Juncos counted. | ||
Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | In winter, there are 5 sub-species of Dark-eyed Junco in our area. Many have a full black or gray hood. All have a dark eye set in dark plumage. Almost always in flocks of 10-20 individuals. Identifiable by a very "dry" sounding "tck-tck" and by white showing on the sides of the tail, especially in flight. Do a an Image Search (at left) to get an idea of the great variation in the plumage of this species. | |
White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Adult (Upper Photo): Distinctive black and white stripes on head. Light colored bill. Clear breast and belly. Juvenile (Lower Photo): Head stripes brown and gray. | |
House Sparrow Passer domesticus Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Common across the continental U.S., this species is generally found around human habitation. The female (upper picture) is fairly plain with a weak, white eyebrow. The male (lower picture) has black on the throat, a strong dark mask: often black in front of eye, reddish-brown (rufous) behind the eye. Often in noisy flocks of 5-15 individuals. | Embudo Valley Library, Dixon Nob Hill, Albuquerque |
Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | This sparrow is rarely seen more than 50 yards from the river and is often right in the willows at the river's edge. Dark back, with streaks on breasts and sides joining a dark central spot. Has a distinctive flight highlighted by a fairly long, rounded tail. | El Bosque |
This rare vagrant is easy to identify once you know the White-crowned Sparrow. | ||
White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Similar to White-crowned Sparrow. Note the yellow lores and the white-throat. Rare, but when present, seen mixed in flocks of White-crowneds. | Photo: Arthur Chapman, Ontario, Canada |
The other 0.05%. | ||
Swamp Sparrow | Melospiza georgiana | Rare Winter Vagrants |
Rufous-crowned Sparrow | Aimophila ruficeps | Rare Winter Visitors |
American Tree Sparrow | Spizella arborea | Rare Winter Visitors |
Savannah Sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis | Rare Winter Vagrants |
Harris's Sparrow | Zonotrichia querula | Rare Winter Vagrants |