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Banded White-crowned sparrow
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David Webster
Just curious if anyone might know anything about these bands. It's the first time I've come across a banded sparrow. Seen in Lobos Creek this afternoon. David Webster
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Linda Swanson
This may be one of the banded White-crowned Sparrows from a research project in 2014 and 2015. 41 White-crowned Sparrows were banded in SF in 2014 (unknown location) and additional White-crowned Sparrows were banded in 2015 at Lake Merced near the Concrete Bridge, and at Golden Gate Park near the Polo Fields.
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Here is info about the project from the sign used in the field: "Summary: We are investigating several factors affecting the song of local White-Crowned Sparrows. We are putting on color bracelets to keep track of the individual birds and working with audio recordings to analyze song and behavior. This study will provide valuable insights into avian communication.” Researchers: from San Francisco State University and Tulane University Research Permit #032014 SF Parks and Rec #GOGA-2014-SCI-0017" I had the pleasure of being a volunteer field assistant to the grad student from SFSU working on this research project. Attached is a photo of a just-banded White-crowned Sparrow, Golden Gate Park, 4/24/2015. Linda Swanson 
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Peter Pyle
I asked Mark Dettling of Point Blue for an update on this project and it is pasted in below. I too have been seeing these banded birds regularly at the east end of the Concrete Bridge - all adults this winter. I presume these are all nuttalli (as opposed to pugentensis) but I don't know this for certain. Cheers, Peter
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Hi Peter, These WCSP are part of a study that Elizabeth Derryberry (now at the University of Knoxville) has been running investigating differences in song between urban (the SF birds) and rural (the Bolinas/Pt Reyes birds) sites. The most recent grad student to work on the project is Ruth Simberloff. Our current lead bander at Palo, Mike Mahoney, worked with Ruth last year and might provide more detail (and pass along the sighting to Ruth). They banded at both Lobos Creek and Lake Merced, so these are their birds. Mark
At 05:16 PM 1/12/2022, Linda Swanson wrote:
This may be one of the banded White-crowned Sparrows from a research project in 2014 and 2015. 41 White-crowned Sparrows were banded in SF in 2014 (unknown location) and additional White-crowned Sparrows were banded in 2015 at Lake Merced near the Concrete Bridge, and at Golden Gate Park near the Polo Fields.
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David Webster
Thanks all, for weighing in on this! David Webster
On Thu, Jan 13, 2022 at 10:43 AM Peter Pyle <ppyle@...> wrote: I asked Mark Dettling of Point Blue for an update
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Mike Carozza
Any chance we can age this particular bird? The idea that it might be 7 years old (young?) is spectacular -MC
On Thu, Jan 13, 2022 at 10:54 AM David Webster <davisigno@...> wrote:
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Mike Carozza 914-475-9355
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David Webster
I'll send in the photo. Hopefully, the four color codes bands might be enough info! I'll keep you posted. d
On Thu, Jan 13, 2022, 11:53 AM Mike Carozza <mike.carozza@...> wrote:
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MC said "Any chance we can age this particular bird? The idea that it might be 7 years old (young?) is spectacular"
It also says a lot about site fidelity for breeders and the kind of plants/habitat these birds need. It’s useful info for when large developments, like Balboa Reservoir development un-house these sparrows. Where will they go? It would be an interesting study to tag the dozens of white-crowns at Balboa to see where they scatter and if they live after the coyote bush is replaced. Or, could they persist on the ornamental replacement plants? Bob Hall SF -- Bob Hall San Francisco, CA "There is no better high than discovery." - E.O. Wilson
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Alvaro Jaramillo
All,
Bret Sandercock and I wrote a paper on survival rates of sparrows, based on the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory data some years ago. Estimates of longevity (which is different than annual survival rates) ranged from 6 – 9 in the sparrows studied (Song, Lincoln’s, Sooty Fox, Golden-crowned, Puget Sound White-crowned, Gambell’s White-crowned). The sparrows are either resident (Song) or the migrants actually return to the same wintering area after they settle on one after the first year. This is the paper.
Various other papers I have worked on here, in case anyone is into this stuff: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alvaro-Jaramillo-4/research
Alvaro
From: SFBirds@groups.io <SFBirds@groups.io> On Behalf Of Bob Hall
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2022 9:48 AM To: SFBirds@groups.io Subject: Re: [SFBirds] Banded White-crowned sparrow
MC said "Any chance we can age this particular bird? The idea that it might be 7 years old (young?) is spectacular"
It also says a lot about site fidelity for breeders and the kind of plants/habitat these birds need. It’s useful info for when large developments, like Balboa Reservoir development un-house these sparrows. Where will they go? It would be an interesting study to tag the dozens of white-crowns at Balboa to see where they scatter and if they live after the coyote bush is replaced. Or, could they persist on the ornamental replacement plants?
Bob Hall SF
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