song sparrow?

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A friend's phone call reminded me of this one:

You see a sparrow feeding in the grass. It has a large spot in the center of its chest surrounded by other smaller spots and you think "just a common song sparrow" and look past it. I'm sure, I have often done the same.

But look closer, my friend Bunky did. It's smaller than a song sparrow and not quite the right shape; its tail is also shorter.

It's actually a savannah sparrow. They spend their winters in my part of the world, choosing to nest farther north.

The common name honors Savannah, Georgia, where Alexander Wilson first discovered one in 1811.  

Size difference. Savannah: smaller: 5.5 inches with short tail (left) And song sparrow: larger 6.25 inches with long tail (right). Plus, in my part of the world, Savannahs are only here in the winter or migrate through spring and fall.  


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