Identifying Female House Sparrows

[Scot]

All,

I wanted to share this with the group as a learning event.

I continue to have occasional issues with identifying female HOSP. I won’t euthanize birds caught in my DRST unless I’m 100% positive. Yesterday, I trapped what looked like a female HOSP, but she was missing that typical white stripe behind each eye on the cheek, so I let her go.

Then upon inspecting the trap, I saw an egg that she must have laid overnight while in the trap. The egg was addled probably from her hopping around all night trying to escape. Pictures are below……..

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It appears this is a HOSP egg, and I allowed a fertile egg laying female HOSP back out into the wild to wreak havoc.

Bummer.

Scot in PA

• This topic was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Scot.

[Scot]

[Lisa]

You did the right thing if to 1000% sure.

[Brad]

Could you keep her in the trap with food and water until you get a positive ID next time? I’m considering getting a DRST. What’s your capture rate with them?

I have lots of HOSP around and a family with several young hanging out in my backyard. What other birds do you commonly catch?

[dogsandbirds]

Live and learn, Scot. Don’t beat yourself up about it. You did right since you weren’t sure.

There are a couple of other markers you can use to ID HOSP. The females have no stripes on their breast feathers. You can also closely examine the beak. HOSP have what I like to call a distinctive “kill tip” on theirs.

Gin
Atlanta, GA

[Scot]

Thanks, Gin.

Brad, I’ve caught and euthanized quite a few HOSP, both male and female, using the DRST. Some of the other species I’ve captured and released are other native Sparrows, an occasional finch, a few cowbirds, and one female cardinal who was small enough to get caught. I’d say 50% of what I catch is HOSP. This was the first time I caught one that laid an egg while in there.

I think it’s a worthwhile investment if you have the $$.

I’ve also used a van ert successfully in early Spring, but now with active nesting going on with my EABL, TRES, and chickadees, I don’t use them at this time.

Scot

[tamsea]

That doesn’t look like a HOSP egg to me….anyone else? If she didn’t have that light streak behind her eye then you did the right thing.

Tammy

[tamsea]

Maybe a song sparrow egg? I’ve collected a few HOSP eggs (don’t ask me why) and none look like that. The speckles are all over.

Tammy

[Author]

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