Is this a FHS? Captured. Identify before destroyed please

Guest · Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:07 pm

Yesterday I posted a message that I have a little difficulty identifying Female House Sparrows and only do so in the accompanyment of a male HS which I can identify easily.
Today I captured this sparrow by itself which looks like a FHS to me.
Before I destroy it, can one of you experts out there give me some comfirmation? I don't want to destroy it if it is not a HS.
Many thanks.
Fred

Guest · Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:09 pm

I posted 3 pictures but I cannot see them so not sure if you are seeing them either.

Sharon - Central TX · Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:10 pm

Fred,
Was there a picture that was supposed to go with your post? If so, it didn't come through.
Sharon

Guest · Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:29 pm

I am trying to post the 3 photos again. Sorry, I don't know for sure how this works. I had a very hard time getting the picture size down to under 250kb so sorry for the small size and I am only posting one of the three pictures this time.

Guest · Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:51 pm

I am starting to get the hang of posting pictures so I am odding the other two pictures one at a time. Thank you for your patience.
Fred

Louise Chambers · Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:55 pm

That is not a House Sparrow. It looks like a white-throated sparrow - it should be released asap (bird cages are very hard on the feathers - it's better to hold a bird in a cardboard box). All our native sparrows are protected songbirds. If you caught it in a bait trap, using bird seed, I'd suggest using white bread as bait to avoid catching non-target birds.

Edit - I noticed your caption says captured by hand - had it hit a window and stunned itself?

In any case, it's very important to ID any trapped birds correctly - the ID links in Mary Dawnsong's post should be just what you need. Note the dark stripes on the bird's head, nothing like a female HOSP, which is a very drab bird with a pale yellowish eye stripe.

Here is an excerpt on sparrow & finch ID sites Mary posted in reply to Stephen's question (topic) about Chipping Sparrows.

It is unfortunate that we call HOSP "Sparrows". They are actually a type of Weaver Finch and not a true sparrow. Our native true sparrows are purely beneficial birds and are no threat to martins.

Our native i true sparrows are not cavity nesters. (The native House Finch, which is a finch and not a sparrow, infrequently claims a cavity.) Our native sparrows nest in low shrubs or on the ground and do NOT compete with any cavity nesting birds for housing.

Here is an excellent article on native species of sparrow in Illinois, including good photos.
Click below to read "A Sparrow is just a Sparrow, Right?":
http://www.illinoisraptorcenter.org/Fie ... arrow.html

And here is a good article on our native finches (plus the non-native House "Sparrow"):
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/lib/pgc/ ... inches.pdf

Thanks, Mary, for always have just the right resources at hand for just about any question anyone has

Louise

PS, Fred - normally a healthy bird could not be captured that way - and I didn't see any salt on its tailfeathers

, so I wondered if it was sick or injured. White-throats are really lovely, have a beautiful song, and visit feeders.

Guest · Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:56 pm

I guess the last try didn't work either. Darn. How do you do this. I am too old for this.
Trying again.

Guest · Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:59 pm

Thank you Louise. So it is not a HS.
I will release it right away.
Actually I did not catch it in a trap. As deescrbed in the photo I caught it by hand.
Thanks for your quick response. It has been in captivity only since the origional post. I posted it right away.
Fred

Mary Dawnsong · Sun Apr 30, 2006 3:01 pm

Hi Zy,

I would release that bird.
The head markings don't look like a female HOSP to me.

I also cannot imagine catching a HOSP by hand!

My best, Mary

Guest · Sun Apr 30, 2006 3:07 pm

UPDATE: Thats all I needed to hear.
The bird has been released.
I am not sure if the bird was stunned or not, possibly so. I distracted it with one hand while coming from behind with the other and grabbed it. It fought ferociously so if it was stunned you would never know it.
thanks for the help and quick response.
Fred

CUL Lou~Mich · Sun Apr 30, 2006 3:17 pm

Fred. I've been at this game nearly 40 years, and I still can't ID FHS for positive unless (like you say) she is accompanied by the Male. Then I'm trying to shoot him, and she gets away. ha ha. If I see them both at the same time, I can tell by his actions, but otherwise, I'll let the female go. Oh, this is definately NOT a FHS. I'm seeing a lot of yellowish tint on its forehead. If I were IDing it, I'd go along with Louise, White Throated. CUL Lou

Guest · Sun Apr 30, 2006 3:45 pm

Yep, that's a White-throated Sparrow - a good, native sparrow that is no threat to cavity-nesters like the Purple Martin or Eastern Bluebird. Thank you very much for asking for an ID before you destroyed it, and for releasing it back to the wild. Listen carefully to hear him singing his thanks - a clear, whistling "Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody." Or, for our northern friends, "Oh, sweet Canada, Canada, Canada."

Wow, you must be quick to catch a sparrow by hand!

Guest · Sun Apr 30, 2006 3:48 pm

Kathi,
Thank you for your comments.
At age 62 I am too quick for some things and not quick enough for others.

All in time.
Fred

Guest · Sun Apr 30, 2006 4:20 pm

Just for added assurance, this bird was not sick of injured in any way. It was as full of energy as it gets and very excited to be released.
I am sure it will be back on my feeders by now.
Thanks for all your comments. I love my birds and don't want to hurt any of the good guys.

PS. I wish I were as quick on my feet as I am on my hands.

A 62 year old Cancer survivor,
fred