RE: Zonotrichia hybrid?
26 Apr 99 13:22:03 -0700
From: Les Chibana
Monte Tudor-Long wrote:
A few days ago, in my parents' Pleasanton yard, we saw a Zonotrichia with the following characteristics:- Plain throat, as in a White-crowned or Golden-crowned Sparrow
- Yellow spots between the eye and the bill, as in a White-throated Sparrow
- Head stripe pattern as in a White-crowned or White-throated Sparrow
- Stripe on the top of the head was both yellow (front half) and white (back half)My guess is that it was a hybrid Golden-crowned/White-throated Sparrow. Does anyone have any other ideas? Are hybrids in this genus common?
A question and some comments:
Can you describe what you mean by the head stripe pattern? It's not clear if you meant that the bird had broad black lateral crown stripes with, clear supercillia above the eye, distinct black eyeline, etc.
The other three features noted sound good for Golden-crowned Sparrow. I've been fooled by Golden-crowned Sparrow throat appearance. Some yellow can appear in the lores, esp. on winter birds. The crown stripe in alternate-plumaged Golden-crowned Sparrow is usually a deep yellow in forecrown blending quickly to light gray in the hind crown. With the right lighting conditions, this light gray could appear whitish.
I don't know about hybrid records. I think Pyle's or Rising's guides would mention if records exist.
I checked my thoughts with another passerine bander and her experience with the species led her to the same place.
Les Chibana
Contra Costa Big Day
Mon, 26 Apr 1999 14:28:46 PDT
From: Steve Glover
Hello County Listers and East Bay Birders,
On Sunday the 24th I did a solo Big Day in Contra Costa County. The day was tremendously windy, especially in the afternoon, and it certainly cost me several species. Still, I got 164 species to tie my old record. I could have gone over to UPS where I work in San Ramon to get Barn Owl and break the record but I was just too tired after also doing a Yolo big day on Saturday. The highlights are as follows:
Common Loon - 3 still in Richmond
Horned Grebe - 2 in Richmond
Eared Grebe - 2 at Iron House Sanitary District, Oakley
Double-crowned Cormorant - carrying nest material to Richmond Bridge
Pelagic Cormorant - 4 at West Brothers Island, 1 possibly on a nest (this is the only known nest site in the East Bay)
American Bittern - 5 at Iron House
Cattle Egret - 8 on Delta Rd in Knightsen
Brant - 2 at Brooks Island
Harlequin Duck - the male still at Brooks Island
White-winged Scoter - one male near Brooks Island
Black Rail - 5+ at Iron House
Black Oystercatcher - 2 at West Brothers Island
Bonaparte's Gull - one lingering at Iron House
Hammond's Flycatcher - 3 in Mitchell Canyon
Pygmy Nuthatch - Inspiration Point at Tilden Regional Park
Phainopepla - one in Mitchell Canyon, the first I've had there
MacGillivray's Warbler - 4 singing at Inspiration Point (where they breed)
Yellow-headed Blackbird - one at Iron House
Big misses:
Osprey, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Golden Eagle, Virginia Rail, Sora, Long-billed Curlew, Red Knot, Barn Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Rufous Hummingbird, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Pipit, Townsend's and Hermit Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chat, Blue Grosbeak, Fox Sparrow, and Hooded Oriole
These birds aren't just possible species on a big day for this date, most of them are downright expected. I still think that 175 is very reachable for the county.
Steve Glover
Home sightings
Mon, 26 Apr 1999 16:45:12 -0700
From: Nancy Harrington
Hello EBB -
On Saturday I spotted an immature Golden Eagle flying high over my house toward Mounat Diablo State Park.
A Bullocks Oriole visited my hummingbird feeder several times Friday and Saturday.
The White and Golden-crowned Sparrow numbers are smaller, but there are still several of them here ... mostly Goldens.
Today a Bushtit was gathering nesting materials.
Nancy Harrington
Blackhawk, CA
More White-throated Sparrows in Martinez
Wed, 28 Apr 1999 11:55:43 PDT
From: Denise Wight
Hi E.B.Birders,
Today, 28 April 1999, there were 3 White-throated Sparrow along Carquinez Scenic Drive in Martinez. They were in a ravine about a half mile before the end of the road, where a sign on the left reads "Warning Steep Cliffs". These birds were in the elderberries, and at one point, all three were on the same branch. There was no singing, and none were as sharp-looking as the individual who was singing at the parking lot last Saturday.
In this same ravine I watched two Orange-crowned Warblers. One pulled the other off the branch by its tail.
Denise Wight
Martinez, CA