Lincoln's Sparrow (#8)

A Lincoln's Sparrow feeds on insects along a creek in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado; 7-8-10.

Another Sparrow that I was very lucky to see in Rocky Mountain National Park this summer was the shy Lincoln’s Sparrow (Above, 7-8-10), which shared the same habitat as the Savannah Sparrow (discussed on my 8/23 Post), in a grassy, marshy area.  It was fun to explore this marsh, sloshing through the bog, and crossing creeks . The Lincoln’s Sparrow is not common in Northern Illinois nor the Midwest as a rule, unless it’s migrating through to its Canadian and upper Michigan breeding grounds. They are more common out West especially in the higher elevations of the Rockies and the Sierra Nevadas in meadows usually near water. However they are considered very shy hiding in the brushy bogs and often mistaken for Song Sparrows. They are bit smaller in size and have more slender beaks than Song Sparrows, and the dark streaks on their breasts are finer than the Song’s (closer to that of the Savannah’s) and have a more buffy or beige color underneath the streaks (Below, 7-8-10).

You can see the buff or beige coloring beneath the streaks on the breast of a Lincoln's Sparrow; Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado; 7-8-10.