Rare Birds: A Clay-colored Sparrow in Stanislaus County

Since I wrote earlier this week about the tendency for unusual sparrows to stick around in the same area for a number of days, thus making it fairly easy for birders to re-find them in subsequent searches, it seems fortuitous that a Clay-colored Sparrow, rare in California, was discovered by a local birder over the weekend.  The bird was seen for three days in a row, loosely associating with a flock of Chipping Sparrows, to which Clay-colored Sparrows are closely related, at the entrance to Creekside golf course in Modesto.  On the fourth day, Eric and I had some free time in the morning, so we scooted up to Modesto (a 25 minute drive away) with high hopes of spotting this rare bird and would-be lifer.

Happily, we were not disappointed!

When we arrived at the "sparrow spot," which had been well described on eBird by other birders, the trees and lawn were absolutely swarming with small passerines: Yellow-rumped Warblers by the dozen, Western Bluebirds, Pine Siskins, three Purple Finches (a good find in themselves!) and a myriad of sparrows flitted and fluttered over the grass, hawking insects, foraging for seeds, and nibbling blossoms.  It was clearly a good spot for birds!  We set to work combing through the flocks of minute birds to find our prize.  

First, of course, we spotted the expected number of common White-crowned Sparrows and charming little Dark-eyed Juncos.  A few even smaller sparrows proved to be Chipping Sparrows, a species that passes through the Central Valley during spring and fall migration.  Chipping Sparrows are members of the same genus (Spizella) as our sought-after Clay-colored Sparrow, and reportedly have been faithful flockmates to this particular wanderer.  I was momentarily sidetracked from the sparrows by first one Purple Finch, a female, followed by a second, a brilliant raspberry-colored male.  A couple of Pine Siskins held my attention for a few seconds longer before I turned back to the task at hand.  Continuing to examine each sparrow, two Lincoln's Sparrows near the overgrown lawn edge and a Savannah Sparrow were promptly added to the list.  

Then I spotted it: a small, pale sparrow, with a beautifully patterned face, plain, unstreaked breast, and gray nape, hopping around in the grass near a Chipping Sparrow.  The contrast between this bird and the Chipping Sparrow was apparent at once: this was the Clay-colored Sparrow!  Most endearingly, it was busily plucking dandelion fluff to munch on the seeds hidden at the base of each tuft.

And of course, as it goes in birding, no sooner had I spotted the bird and confirmed its identity than it flew away, across the road.  But my handy bird spotter of a husband was able to follow its movements, more or less, and soon enough it returned to our side of the road and the patch of flowering plum trees it had been reliably foraging beneath for the past several days.  With the sparrow once again in our sights, I was able to inch forward to get a few serviceable photos - they're not great, but they'll do!

  

Clay-colored Sparrows are birds of the Great Plains, where they inhabit brushy areas and thickets within otherwise open country.  Their breeding range extends across Montana and the northern mid-western states, and far north into Canada.  Migrating through the central part of the continent, east of the Rocky Mountains, they spend winter in southwestern Texas and Mexico.  

During their southward fall migration, small numbers of Clay-colored Sparrows turn up each year on the East and West Coasts, and most Clay-colored Sparrow records in Stanislaus and Merced counties are from the winter.  It is possible that this individual has been hanging out in this area for quite some time, undetected.  (And I can't say I'm surprised; to distinguish this bird from the other sparrows, one really needs to use binoculars, even from a relatively close range!)  I suppose it is also possible that it attached itself to this small flock of early-migrating Chipping Sparrows and is traveling with them.  We'll never know.

  

As a naturalist, birder, and lover of all things wild, it is always such a delight to make the acquaintance of a new species.  After hours spent pouring over field guides, where photos and illustrations of little brown sparrows all begin to blur together and look alike, it is a joy to see a new bird in the flesh (or feather?) and realize that it really is more distinct from similar species than any field guide could ever describe.  Once animated, its movements, behaviors and sounds all combine with its appearance to create an entirely unique impression.  I can't tell you how many times I've wondered if I would be able to recognize a such-and-such bird when I saw it in the wild for the first time, only to be absolutely without-a-doubt certain of its identity when my binoculars finally landed on the bird in question.  Good birders just know when they are looking at something entirely new!

Once again, I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the fact that birding is very often a team effort, especially in these days of that wonderfully beneficial database, eBird, where birders create a worldwide network, excitedly sharing their discoveries.  Thanks to all of you who contribute to eBird and help the birding community thrive!