Clay-colored Sparrow

Spizella pallida

Small, slender sparrow with short bill and long, narrow tail. Subtly patterned with pale gray and buff overall. Face usually looks crisp and clean. Most similar to Chipping and Field Sparrows, but note combination of white supercilium, plain lores, and buffy rump. Song is a series of low, insect-like buzzes. Breeds mostly in grasslands with shrubs; winters in any open, brushy, or weedy area.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Spizella pallida
Authority
(Swainson, 1832)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Passerellidae
Genus
Spizella

Range and habitat

Breeding range
NA : c Canada to nc USA
Non-breeding range
to w Mexico
Migration
Complete migrants

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

East Andean Antbird

East Andean Antbird

Drymophila caudata

Slender, long-tailed antbird restricted to Colombia’s eastern Andes. Note the profuse streaking on foreparts and the orange belly and rump. Male’s streaks are darker and more contrasting than female’s. Similar to Klages's Antbird (little or no overlap), but central underparts are streaked instead of plain. Also very similar to Streak-headed Antbird and Santa Marta Antbird, but no range overlap. Inhabits bamboo thickets in cloud forest. Song consists of a few clucking notes followed by several rasps.

Obi Golden-Bulbul

Obi Golden-Bulbul

Hypsipetes lucasi

A thrush-sized bird with a heavy bill, olive-green upperparts, and a yellow underside. Particularly note the yellow cheeks and the yellowish patch beside the bill, making the dark eye stand out from the face. Pairs and small groups inhabit forests, edges, scrubland, and plantations. Confined to the island of Obi. Separated from female Black-chinned Whistler by unscaled throat, solid yellow underside,  and yellow facial sides. Vocalizations include an inflected high-pitched whistle, “tseeooeee.” Also gives a staccato, two-note “wit-cheer” with a longer second note, plus nasal “too-too” calls.

Micronesian Myzomela

Micronesian Myzomela

Myzomela rubratra

A tiny bright red myzomela with dark blackish wings and tail, a blackish patch in front of the eye, and a decurved bill. Found widely in most habitats, mostly along forest edge and in scrub. The only myzomela in Micronesia. Voice is a mix of wheezing upslurred whistles and complex chattering and squeaking.

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