Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Rufous-crowned Sparrow - Western Birds

A Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Santa Cruz Island, Channel Island Nat. Park, CA; 6/18/2011.
In my second trek into Scorpion Canyon in my attempt to find the Island Scrub Jay, I was fortunate to run into a Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Above), which became #311 on my Life List.  They are found in the Southwest in spots of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. They are not very common, but can be seen in arid rocky shrubby hillsides. These sparrows look very much alike Chipping Sparrows except that their eye line is rufous instead of black and their eyebrow is grayish instead of the Chipping's white eyebrow. R-C Sparrows' bills are also completely gray.
The trail leading into Scorpion Canyon, Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands Nat. Park; 6/18/2011.
Another look at the same Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Sunset of the Day

A Lake Superior sunset, Upper Michigan; 5/24/2008.


No comments:

Post a Comment