ML132266071

Age and sex

Immature Unknown sex - X

Observation details

Immature (I think), found and photographed at this spot a few days before. A chunky Zonotrichia with a blocky head (compared to the White-crowned Sparrows it was with) and perhaps a larger, thicker bill. Underparts white with limited golden-buff coloration on the flanks, some dark streaking also present. Dark streaks forming a broken necklace across the upper breast. Upperparts largely golden-brown, lacking the rufous tones I would expect for a White-crowned or the colder brown tones I might expect for a Golden-crowned Sparrow. Two white wing bars in sharp contrast to the rest of the upperparts. Face largely golden with duskier (at times the lighting made it appear grayish) auriculars. Distinctive dark post ocular post. Crown flecked with black. Heavy bill distinctively pink. The pale throat and dark malar suggest this is an immature rather than a basic plumage adult. I did not hear the bird vocalize. The bird was associating with a group of White-crowned Sparrows immediately south (perhaps 25-50 feet) of the parking area for the paved trail (there are several beer bottles strewn about near the spot). It perched up in a salt cedar shortly after some pishing and was not particularly skittish.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 40D

ISO

1000

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/1250 sec

Dimensions

1620 pixels x 1079 pixels

Original file size

566.31 KB