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Posted by Trey Mitchell on 23:01:13 01/16/07
In Reply to: Re: ENP - Flamingo posted by Brian Rapoza
It is a Salt Marsh Sharp-tailed according to:
USGS
"The Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow is similar to the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow but has a white throat separated from the orange face by a dark streak (uniformly orange in Nelson's) and more streaking on the breast."
But this is the only authority that I have found that speaks of the white throat. If they are the authority, then the bird in my photo is a Salt Marsh Sharp-tailed, although the throat isn't white in the photos and wasn't white visually in the field. It was a bit more buff than the photos show. But the lines separating the throat from the orange cheeks that the USGS description describes are certainly visible in my photos.
I have found scores of photos online that look just like my photo that are called "Nelson's". I must assume that other guides and people aren't using the white throat as a determining factor.
If someone would let me know who the ultimate authority on bird ID it would help. Then we can go to that authority for a written description.
Help please!
I trust all of you who are calling the bird based on the throat, but...
Is that factor definitive.
Here are all three photos without any enhancment:
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