Way back on the Brunswick-Freeport Christmas Bird Count on New Year’s Eve, Jeannette, Rich, and I visited Florida Lake Park in Freeport. In fading, late afternoon light, we flushed a sparrow from the dike. It flew across the ice, landed in a dense island, and remained absolutely hidden. It did not respond at all to spishing. A little while later, another CBC party – who were hoping to see the Pine Grosbeaks that we also had at Florida Lake – happened upon the same sparrow, and they too were unable to catch more than a glimpse of it before it disappeared.

Whenever an unfamiliar sparrow is encountered, it is best to identify the bird to genus in order to narrow down the amount of field guide pages that have to be turned. The various members of each sparrow genus are usually quite similar in shape and size, and often in plumage as well. If we can narrow our choices, using the gestalt of the bird (the general impression of size and shape) to one or two genuses, we can narrow our potential choices from among the 57 species of the Emberizidae family that have occurred in North America

My impressions of the sparrow at that time, was that is was a darker brown in color (not sandy like a Savannah Sparrow for example), medium sized, and fairly long-tailed. The bulky body and longish tail (not slim-bodied and short, spiky-tailed) ruled out the Ammodramus sparrows (like Grasshopper Sparrow), any of which would be exceptionally rare in Maine in winter. The smaller size, and darker overall coloration, ruled out the large and mostly-unstreaked Zonotrichia sparrows (like White-throated). It was not a Towhee, Junco, Longspur, or Bunting.

The shape seemed bulkier, and larger than the Aimophilia sparrows - none of which have ever occurred even close to Maine. It was much too large and long-tailed than any of the Spizella sparrows (like Chipping), and it was too dark for an American Tree Sparrow. It seemed too small and dark below for a Lark Sparrow (genus Chondestres), and those white tips to the outer tail feathers would probably have been noticeable as it flew away. It was not a Black-throated, Five-striped, or Sage Sparrow (each in a different genus), and all of which are paler in color (gray mostly) and are only found in the Desert Southwest. It was much too small, and too short-tailed for a Fox Sparrow (genus Passerella), and by plumage it was not a Lark Bunting (genus Calamospiza). It was not a Savannah Sparrow (genus Passerculus) as it was much darker in color, bulkier, and longer-tailed, and it was not a Vesper Sparrow (genus Pooecetes) for the same reasons.

Therefore, almost by default, we are left with only three species (much better than 57!) of the genus Melospiza: Song Sparrow,Swamp Sparrow, and Lincoln’s Sparrow. All three are chunky, medium-sized sparrows, dark brown above, and fairly dark below. All three have fairly long, and at least somewhat rounded, tails as well. All three are also common in Maine, at least in some time of the year. (See how nice the system works!).

My first instinct was Song Sparrow, as this is regular on Christmas Counts in Maine. Lincoln’s and Swamp are very rare in winter, but both have in fact occurred on Christmas Counts (probability is a factor worth considering). But, the strike against Song Sparrow is that the bird’s tail was not quite long and round enough for this species – one of the species’ most distinct characteristics. Plus, Song Sparrows so readily respond to spishing.

All three are not overly difficult to identify, given a good look at plumage, but we did not have a good look at all. Flying directly away, all we saw was a dark brown back. In poor light, all three of these species would show a dark-brown back (in good light, Swamp should look reddish). But, unless it was a Song Sparrow that was still growing in its tail feathers (certainly a possibility), then the bird was likely a Lincoln’s or a Swamp Sparrow.

I went back a couple of times in the following weeks, and only once did I see the bird again – flushing into the bushes at a distance and not refound. I chalked it up as “Sparrow species” and forgot about it.

Today, I was at Florida Lake, and low-and-behold, a dark sparrow flushed out of a bare patch of grass and into a dense cluster of firs. I didn’t have a chance to get my binoculars on it, but I spotted some movement within the lower branches. I raised my binoculars just in time to see a silhouette as the bird flew out of that fir, never to be seen again.

My – however brief – view of the bird’s shape added a little bit of credence to my Lincoln’s or Swamp conclusion – as the shape certainly fit either of those species, but not necessarily anything else. Of course, over a month and a half later, it could even have been a different bird, but it was similar, was in the same place, and acted the exact same way.

So, what is this “little brown job?” Maybe I’ll find out tomorrow!