September 19th, 2005. San Diego County, CA.
| Large-billed (Savannah) Sparrow
Passerculus (sandwichensis) rostratus.
| There’s
no doubt that this year we had our best views yet of this distinctive
form of Savannah Sparrow. We found ourselves on the beach at high tide
and started seeing Large-billed Sparrows
immediately, tallying at least five birds in all. Along with a
distinctive suite of characters (large bulbous bill, rather faintly
streaked, grayish upperparts and poorly marked supercilium), these bold
birds could be found sprinting across the sand and then standing erect
in a manner that reminded me very much of some of the larger Asian
pipits.
It will be worth keeping a close eye on the the AOU's
treatment of this form in the near future. Certainly sitting on the
beach in San Diego, I had a hard time convincing myself that I was
watching Savannah Sparrows.
| | Images taken using Canon Powershot A-95 through Swarovski HD telescope. |
|
