Re: Ovenbird vs Fox Sparrow

["Richard Wood" <rwoodphd at msn dot com>]

The first Ovenbird I ever saw in New York state (in the Finger Lakes
National Forest) was perched in a tree.  When we tried to "ID" him, he then
jumped down to the ground and "acted" like an Ovenbird acts.

Richard

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim Avery" <tanager@timaverybirding.com>
To: <birdtalk@utahbirds.org>
Sent: Friday, August 13, 2004 5:52 PM
Subject: Ovenbird vs Fox Sparrow


> Utah Birders,
>
> Pomeras post got me thinking about what else the bird "might" have been, I
am
> not discrediting the sighting one bit.  My initial thought about
Ovenbird's in
> Utah is that they show up in lowland Riparian areas, the typical habitat.
The
> 7000 - 8,000 foot riparian areas aren't quitte the same and offer a
different
> habitat for different birds.  I began to think about a bird that might
look
> similair, and be "Sparrow-Sized".  An obvious candidate is the Fox
Sparrow.
> (Song Sparrow too, but not as much)  A Fox Sparow is a semi-common species
of
> the high elevation region, as long as there is thick underbrush to perch
in.  A
> comparison of the two bird could reveal that both have a similair
streaking
> pattern.  Fox may be more heavily streaked, but a worn bird or a juvenile
may
> lack as much, giving it the same appearnace as that Ovenbird.  The bill is
very
> different, and the lack-of the head markings don't help, but from  the
> description the bird could very weel fall into this category as a Fox
Sparrow.
>
> Another key is the way the bird was acting, mainly the fact that it was
peched
> in a tree 10 - 15 feet off the ground.  Ovenbids typically are found
hopping
> around on the ground and skulking, through the underbrush kicking up the
> "ground-cover" in search of food.  In my dozen or so sightings, I have
only
> ever seen a Ovenbird perched once, all teh other sightings were in flight
or on
> teh ground, hip-hopping around.
>
> In any event, we are talking about birds, and as we all know, BIRDS DO
WHAT THEY
> WANT, WHEN THEY WANT.  Hence a PURPLE GALLINULE at Jordanelle, or STINTS
> showing up all up and down the West Coast.  Pomeras description well fits
the
> Ovenbird (minus the whole in the tree thing) and maybe this little guy got
a
> little misquided on an early trip back from Montana or parts unkknown.
And
> that means there is a good chance that it's well on it's way and lost to
us.
> But who knows.  Thanks for the great report Pomera and I will be on the
look
> out for Ovenbird, my last week in Salt Lake for the summer.
>
> Good Birding
>
> Tim
>
> Salt Lake City, UT or Beloit, WI
> http://www.timaverybirding.com
>
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