Ovenbird vs Fox Sparrow

[Tim Avery <tanager at timaverybirding dot com>]

Utah Birders,

Pomeras post got me thinking about what else the bird "might" have been, I am
not discrediting the sighting one bit.  My initial thought about Ovenbird's in
Utah is that they show up in lowland Riparian areas, the typical habitat.  The
7000 - 8,000 foot riparian areas aren't quitte the same and offer a different
habitat for different birds.  I began to think about a bird that might look
similair, and be "Sparrow-Sized".  An obvious candidate is the Fox Sparrow. 
(Song Sparrow too, but not as much)  A Fox Sparow is a semi-common species of
the high elevation region, as long as there is thick underbrush to perch in.  A
comparison of the two bird could reveal that both have a similair streaking
pattern.  Fox may be more heavily streaked, but a worn bird or a juvenile may
lack as much, giving it the same appearnace as that Ovenbird.  The bill is very
different, and the lack-of the head markings don't help, but from  the
description the bird could very weel fall into this category as a Fox Sparrow.

Another key is the way the bird was acting, mainly the fact that it was peched
in a tree 10 - 15 feet off the ground.  Ovenbids typically are found hopping
around on the ground and skulking, through the underbrush kicking up the
"ground-cover" in search of food.  In my dozen or so sightings, I have only
ever seen a Ovenbird perched once, all teh other sightings were in flight or on
teh ground, hip-hopping around.

In any event, we are talking about birds, and as we all know, BIRDS DO WHAT THEY
WANT, WHEN THEY WANT.  Hence a PURPLE GALLINULE at Jordanelle, or STINTS
showing up all up and down the West Coast.  Pomeras description well fits the
Ovenbird (minus the whole in the tree thing) and maybe this little guy got a
little misquided on an early trip back from Montana or parts unkknown.  And
that means there is a good chance that it's well on it's way and lost to us. 
But who knows.  Thanks for the great report Pomera and I will be on the look
out for Ovenbird, my last week in Salt Lake for the summer.

Good Birding

Tim

Salt Lake City, UT or Beloit, WI
http://www.timaverybirding.com

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