Posted by Graeme Lee on February 15, 2007 at 6:22 AM
...well not so much apparently according to bird sources!
I assume this is a male House Sparrow but a bit confused as to the colour of the beak. According to my book, this dark coloured beak is it's summer plumage? Unless it's a migrant from a very cold place?
Had a search on here for Sparrows and they all seem to have yellow lighter beaks. Am I right? Is this a very tough Sparrow and considers it summer here?
Shame about the upright twig hiding the subject but it's the best image I have of these yet. Something to work on!
Posted by Rob Howard on February 15, 2007 at 1:52 PM
Hi Graeme,
I can't help with the plumage question's , but this is a very nice shot. It's a real shame about the cut off twig as this does spoil it a bit.
Regards
Rob
Posted by Rene de Heer on February 16, 2007 at 11:54 AM
Its a nice shot and i do agree that the twig spoils it a bit.
Rene de Heer
Posted by Mike Smith on February 16, 2007 at 12:35 PM
I haven't read up in BWP yet, but I think the bill coloration is a question of age, probably the younger birds are paler straw and this progressively darkens to this steely grey colour with age and successive moults. In breeding plumage the bill is much blacker, a shedable sheath? - the wing feather tips look quite abraded and distinctly pale at the tips, so no sign of spring moult yet into breeding plumage
I read recently that the size of a sproggies breast bib is an indication of breeding prowess, the larger the breast bib the more successful the cock bird! A 10 year study showed bigger testes were found on birds with bigger blacker bibs - the sproggie equivelent of the 6 o'clock shadow perhaps!
Posted by David Kjaer on February 17, 2007 at 5:01 AM
Hi Graeme
Super image with great detail and BG. The twig in front does detract a little from the image but still very very nice!
Discussion
4 repliesI assume this is a male House Sparrow but a bit confused as to the colour of the beak. According to my book, this dark coloured beak is it's summer plumage?
Had a search on here for Sparrows and they all seem to have yellow lighter beaks. Am I right? Is this a very tough Sparrow and considers it summer here?
Shame about the upright twig hiding the subject
Comments welcome
techs:
1d2, 500/4is + 1.4x, 1/640th, F8, ISO 250, Spot, ASB1, G1325, Sidekick
I can't help with the plumage question's , but this is a very nice shot. It's a real shame about the cut off twig as this does spoil it a bit.
Regards
Rob
Rene de Heer
I read recently that the size of a sproggies breast bib is an indication of breeding prowess, the larger the breast bib the more successful the cock bird! A 10 year study showed bigger testes were found on birds with bigger blacker bibs - the sproggie equivelent of the 6 o'clock shadow perhaps!
Super image with great detail and BG. The twig in front does detract a little from the image but still very very nice!
David