Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for September 25: Lincoln’s Sparrow

Lincoln’s Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii

Where to find it: Lincoln’s Sparrow is a common migrant in the fall throughout Connecticut and can be found particularly at our Bafflin Sanctuary in Pomfret.

It usually arrives in Connecticut around the third week of September and can be found through mid-October. Check weedy fields, old weedy gardens, hedgerows, and shrubby thickets throughout the state.

Lincoln Sparrow nests in the bogs and wet meadows of Canada and northern New England and winters in the southern U.S. and Mexico. Although common in fall, Lincoln’s Sparrow is not a commonly observed spring migrant in Connecticut.

What it looks like: Lincoln’s Sparrow is a small brownish gray bird. It has a buffy breast and its flanks show crisp fine black streaks. There is a sharp cut-off from the buffy upper breast to the white belly. It has a buffy eye ring and buffy lines off the base of the bill and a broad gray supercilium. Lincoln’s crown feathers are often peaked up. The Swamp Sparrow is similar looking but lacks the buffy upper breast, eye ring and black streaking.

How to find it: At the Bafflin sanctuary, near the Center, look in the weedy loam pile near the maintenance barn or walk the trail across from the Center toward the wildlife food plot: many can be observed feeding on the tops of the various seed producing plants. Stand quietly for a while and they begin to show themselves, particularly in the morning hours. When the sun is on the bird you can see the beautiful contrasting markings.

What if bird isn’t there: Lincoln’s Sparrow is often found with flocks of Swamp Sparrows, Song Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Indigo Buntings (in fall drab plumage), and American Goldfinches. The wildlife food plot attracts many species, and the surrounding early successional habitats also attract warblers, vireos, and other birds. Visit in the morning, especially a cool or cold one. The sun will be at your back and the birds often sit still in the sun to warm up!

Conservation Status: Fortunately they are of least concern. Their population appears to be stable or increasing.

This week’s Connecticut Audubon Society Bird Finder was written by Andy Rzeznikiewicz and edited by Tom Andersen

Photo by Bill Bouton, CarolinaBirds.org