Sparrows and Finches of the Great Lakes Region & Eastern North America

by Earley, Chris G.

• ISBN13: 9781552978047
• ISBN10: 1552978044
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-04-01
• Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd

Summary

Sparrows and Finches offers birders information on this rich variety of species right in their own backyard. It's hard to keep all those little brown birds apart. This handy, bring-along guidebook is designed to help beginner and advanced birders to identify accurately over 48 types of sparrows, finches, and their look-alikes.Sparrows and Finches focuses only on these two families within a defined geographical location: the Great Lakes and eastern North America. As result, it offers comprehensive coverage in a small, convenient format.The book is heavily illustrated with 220 full-color photographs taken by award-winning photographers that show these birds in their natural habitats. Comparison pages group similar-looking birds on a single spread for quick reference. Concise and accurate information on each bird includes: Common name Biological classification Song description Identifying features Seasonal changes to plumage colorSparrows and Finches will prove indispensable to naturalists, students, and birders at all levels of experience. A special section entitled What Can I Do to Help the Sparrows offers simple ways to attract sparrows and finches to your own backyard. This is an engaging and friendly guide that reveals the rich diversity among a seemingly common family of birds so often taken for granted.

Author Biography

Chris Earley is the Interpretive Naturalist at the University of Guelph's Arboretum. He is an active birder whose field guide to warblers is also available in this series.

Table of Contents

LBJs and you	5	(1)
How to use this book (terminology)	6	(2)
A note to beginners	8	(1)
The quotes	9	(1)
Taxonomy	10	(1)
Classification of the birds in this book	11	(1)
Identification features	12	(1)
Sparrow & finch look-alikes	13	(1)
Seasonal status of sparrows & finches	14	(2)
Sparrows and finches	16	(82)
Eastern Towhee	16	(2)
American Tree Sparrow	18	(2)
Chipping Sparrow	20	(2)
Clay-colored Sparrow	22	(2)
Field Sparrow	24	(2)
Vesper Sparrow	26	(2)
Lark Sparrow	28	(2)
Savannah Sparrow	30	(2)
Grasshopper Sparrow	32	(2)
Henslow's Sparrow	34	(2)
Le Conte's Sparrow	36	(2)
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow & Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow	38	(2)
Seaside Sparrow	40	(2)
Fox Sparrow	42	(2)
Song Sparrow	44	(2)
Lincoln's Sparrow	46	(2)
Swamp Sparrow	48	(2)
White-throated Sparrow	50	(2)
Harris's Sparrow	52	(2)
White-crowned Sparrow	54	(2)
Dark-eyed Junco	56	(2)
Junco vagrants	58	(2)
Smith's Longspur	60	(2)
Lapland Longspur	62	(2)
Snow Bunting	64	(2)
Northern Cardinal	66	(2)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	68	(2)
Blue Grosbeak	70	(2)
Indigo Bunting	72	(2)
Dickcissel	74	(2)
Pine Grosbeak	76	(2)
Purple Finch	78	(2)
House Finch	80	(2)
Red Crossbill	82	(2)
White-winged Crossbill	84	(2)
Common Redpoll	86	(2)
Hoary Redpoll	88	(2)
Pine Siskin	90	(2)
American Goldfinch	92	(2)
Evening Grosbeak	94	(2)
House Sparrow	96	(2)
Vagrants & stragglers	98	(8)
Green-tailed Towhee	98	(1)
Spotted Towhee	99	(1)
Cassin's Sparrow	99	(1)
Bachman's Sparrow	99	(1)
Brewer's Sparrow	100	(1)
Black-throated Sparrow	100	(1)
Lark Bunting	100	(1)
Baird's Sparrow	101	(1)
Golden-crowned Sparrow	101	(1)
McCown's Longspur	101	(1)
Chestnut-collared Longspur	102	(1)
Black-headed Grosbeak	102	(1)
Lazuli Bunting	102	(1)
Varied Bunting	103	(1)
Painted Bunting	103	(1)
Brambling	103	(1)
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch	104	(1)
Cassin's Finch	104	(1)
Lesser Goldfinch	105	(1)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow	105	(1)
What can I do to help sparrows & finches?	106	(2)
References	108	(2)
Cheat sheets	110	(3)
Index	113	(15)
Author's Notes	128

Excerpts

LBJs and youThose LBJs (Little Brown Jobs)! "They all look the same to me" seems to be a common statement from many beginning birders. And they do all look the same -- at first. With practice, persistence, and above all, patience, you will soon be able to identify sparrows and other birds with cone-shaped beaks, such as finches and buntings.When trying to identify birds it is important to remember the following motto: I don't know.Really, it's okay to say it. Too many birders will get an inconclusive view of a bird and then just guess. With practice, you can identify birds from incredibly short glimpses of them, but there will always be some "I don't knows" And even if you do get a good look and still can't identify the bird, you will have learned from the process. The next time you see that species, it will be familiar to you and you may see another field mark or behavior to help in its identification. And don't forget to watch the birds as well! Keeping a checklist is fun and a way to record your sightings, but careful observations will help you really understand these interesting creatures. Watching birds in their environment reveals interactions that link all of nature together.