Hi MD Birding:
Catching up on some older messages, here ...
Regarding the MD/DC Records Committee (MD/DCRC) review status of
Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow in MD and DC, discussed about a week
ago, here is a bit more detail ...
Status: About 10-12 years ago, it was generally thought that this
subspecies (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) was relatively uncommon
to our region and sighting/banding reports were solicited by the
MD/DCRC. On 03/31/2004, the MD/DCRC created a formal "Subspecies
Review List," based on Marshall Iliff's comprehensive, but
unpublished, 2005 manuscript "A list of subspecies confirmed for
Maryland." Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow was included on this list,
to indicate that the committee encouraged reports of this subspecies.
Over the next few years, prior banding records and earlier published
regional reports were located and added to the MD/DCRC database, even
though most earlier reports did not include descriptive, reviewable
details. In parallel, contemporaneous reports continued to flow into
the committee.
On 07/01/2008, the MD/DCRC removed Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow
from our Maryland subspecies review list, with no plan or intention
to restore it back to the list in the future. The reasons for
removing it were the total numbers of reports and records received,
averaging about 2 per year, compounded by the fluid state of the
subspecies taxonomy and recently surfaced related field
identification issues, particularly associated with intergrades and
juvenile individuals.
Notes:
1. There are no records of Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow for DC.
Despite the issues, raised above, any DC reports of this subspecies
are welcome by the MD/DCRC.
2. Since they are still notable, reports of MD Gambel's White-crowned
Sparrow should continue to be reported to eBird and to the editors of
the seasonal Maryland Birdlife and the North American Birds regional
quarterly reports.
3. Reports of any other putative western White-crowned Sparrow
subspecies should be reported to the MD/DCRC, even if just to capture
and archive documentation for posterity. These other western
subspecies include: pugetensis, nuttalli, and oriantha.
4. The four-letter banding codes generally used for White-crowned
Sparrow forms include EWCS for the nominate Eastern White-crowned
Sparrow (Z. l. leucophrys) and GWCS for Gambel's White-crowned
Sparrow (Z. l. gambelii) .
Resources: Here are some helpful resources:
National Geographic's account:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/white-crowned-sparrow/
Sibley's White-crowned Sparrow subspecies account and additional information:
http://www.sibleyguides.com/bird-info/white-crowned-sparrow/
http://www.sibleyguides.com/2011/05/distinguishing-interior-west-from-western-taiga-white-crowned-sparrows/
A perspective from Utah:
http://utahbirders.blogspot.com/2012/01/identifying-white-crowned-sparrow.html
A perspective from Texas:
http://www.birdfellow.com/journal/2012/02/19/a_closer_look_wintering_white_crowned_sparrows_in_texas
Birds of North America (BNA) On-line White-crowned Sparrow Account (a
subscription required, but a highly recommended resource - MOS
members get a discount):
http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/183/articles/systematics
The current MD/DCRC MD Subspecies Review List:
http://www.mdbirds.org/mddcrc/pdf/mdsubrev.pdf
Hope this helps ...
Thanks.
Phil
At 11:38 10/17/2012, Bill Hubick rote:
>Mike/Mark/All,
>
>Great photo and discussion. While traditionally we would likely call
>this bird an immature Gambel's, the latest discussion suggests that
>identifying immature White-crowned Sparrows in the East is greatly
>complicated by possible intergrades. This is so much the case that
>the MD/DC Records Committee has suspended discussion of MD/DC
>Gambel's records pending additional research/literature. I say
>photograph them all, use validity wording (e.g., "presumed",
>"possible", "probable"), and we'll sort them out later. I do not
>consider it inappropriate to report this bird to eBird as a
>Gambel's, but what we will ultimately call these remains uncertain.
>From: Michael Moore <mcmoore32...>
>To: <mdbirding...>
>Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 9:56 AM
>Subject: [MDBirding] Re: Interesting White-crowned Sparrow, Swan
>Harbor, Harford Co.
>This is indeed a very nice photo of an immature Gambel's
>White-crowned Sparrow. Eastern White-crowns have dark lores (as do
>the ones that breed in the Rocky Mountains), whereas those that
>breed in Alaska (Gambel's) or along the Pacific Coast (Puget Sound
>and Nutall's forms) have pale lores, like your bird. The Pacific
>Coast forms are not known to wander much so the only pale-lored form
>even remotely likely here is Gambel's. This ID is supported by the
>rusty and gray tones in the bird's back (Pacific Coast forms tend to
>be brown and beige) and the clear gray breast (Pacific Coast forms
>tend to be dingier breasted).
>I am sure Gambel's is overlooked among flocks of Eastern
>White-crown's but I believe it is a rare but regular migrant in the
>mid-Atlantic. Great find, especially to pick up that it was
>something different!
>On Tuesday, October 16, 2012 8:39:42 PM UTC-4, Mark Johnson 2 wrote:
> >
> > I just photographed (only one shot) a White-crowned
> > Sparrow that I'd like to get some opinions on, regarding age and
> subspecies.
> > It's a very dark looking bird-the head stripes are gray where an
> adult eastern's
> > would be white, and the back and tail are very dark, more gray
> leaning towards
> > black, rather than brown, like the several others that I saw
> keeping company
> > with this one. The dark head stripes are more dark brown than black, and
> > definitely not the bright reddish-brown of a first fall/winter
> juvenile bird.
> > Here's a link to the photo:
> <http://www.flickr.com/photos/27381338@N03/8095453858/in/photostream%C2%A0>http://www.flickr.com/photos/27381338@N03/8095453858/in/photostream
> .
> > The photo's color and lighting are as taken, no tweaking at all,
> only cropped.
> > I'm not sure I'd recognize a Gambel's if I saw one, and any kind
> of intermediate
> > would throw me too, so I'm curious what others think about this guy.
===================================================
Phil Davis, Secretary
MD/DC Records Committee
2549 Vale Court
Davidsonville, Maryland 21035 USA
301-261-0184
mailto:<PDavis...>
MD/DCRC Web site: http://www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html
===================================================
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