GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Hunting Gate => Topic started by: DMR214 on April 05, 2021, 03:58:09 PM
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Took 3 shots at what I believe where house sparrows (female). The males were moving around to much and wouldn't sit still long enough to get the right shot.
Heavy winds made me choose the .25.
1st bird was 20 yards and decided to go two different directions.
2nd bird was about 25 yards and split his muffin cap'back blue
3rd was 45ish and did a side flip into the ground.
New to bird watching but I seen these aggressive little birds swarm on the birds I really like. Like this one I seen today and I don't even know what it is.
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Rick, excellent shots on those HOSP's! Vaporized is a word I would use! LOL! Have no idea what species that last one is but you are protecting it and others very very well!
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That last bird looks like a Gold Finch to me ? Avoid them, amazing what .25 does to small fluffy things 8) ;D
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I think the 3rd and maybe the 4th one you got looks to be a white crown sparrow though. These guys will usually run along the ground a lot as opposed to flying into seed on the ground like a house sparrow. Friendly fire. Try to avoid those ;D All others are unrecognizable as they should be.
Download the Merlin App for your phone and it will help identifying the good and the BAD BAD birdies.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is your bird.
Here is what the Merlin app looks like:
(https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/MGalleryItem.php?id=6409)
(https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/MGalleryItem.php?id=6408)
(https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/MGalleryItem.php?id=6407)
(https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/MGalleryItem.php?id=6406)
KINDA BIG I KNOW
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That last bird looks like a Gold Finch to me ? Avoid them, amazing what .25 does to small fluffy things 8) ;D
And here I have been with .177 all my life lol. It sure is a nice birdie, really brightens up the place,especially with new garden in the works.
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I think the 3rd and maybe the 4th one you got looks to be a white crown sparrow though. These guys will usually run along the ground a lot as opposed to flying into seed on the ground like a house sparrow. Friendly fire. Try to avoid those ;D All others are unrecognizable as they should be.
Download the Merlin App for your phone and it will help identifying the good and the BAD BAD birdies.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is your bird.
Here is what the Merlin app looks like:
(https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/MGalleryItem.php?id=6409)
(https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/MGalleryItem.php?id=6408)
(https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/MGalleryItem.php?id=6407)
(https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/MGalleryItem.php?id=6406)
KINDA BIG I KNOW
Well I sure hope not, because they were on the ground so I'll be sure to double check the markings now. I'll download the app & thanks never heard of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. I would like a family of those in the backyard for sure.
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That last bird looks like a Gold Finch to me ? Avoid them, amazing what .25 does to small fluffy things 8) ;D
Scissor-tail flycatcher......beautiful birds! I usually have a breeding pair here every summer.
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That second photo doesn't look to me like house sparrows. The male HS has a black "bib" on his chest. The female will typically be WITH the male. I don't normally shoot at any female unless she is accompanied by a male, since they look similar to a few other species.
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none look like house sparrows to me
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That last bird looks like a Gold Finch to me ? Avoid them, amazing what .25 does to small fluffy things 8) ;D
Scissor-tail flycatcher......beautiful birds! I usually have a breeding pair here every summer.
+1 on beautiful birds!
It's the state bird of Oklahoma.
I can remember seeing these from when I was 6 years old. It's in the king bird family.
These are insectavoures. They eat bugs.
Have a look.
https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlife/nongamespecies/birds/scissor-tailed-flycatcher (https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlife/nongamespecies/birds/scissor-tailed-flycatcher)
Hunter
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That last bird looks like a Gold Finch to me ? Avoid them, amazing what .25 does to small fluffy things 8) ;D
Scissor-tail flycatcher......beautiful birds! I usually have a breeding pair here every summer.
+1 on beautiful birds!
It's the state bird of Oklahoma.
I can remember seeing these from when I was 6 years old. It's in the king bird family.
These are insectavoures. They eat bugs.
Have a look.
https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlife/nongamespecies/birds/scissor-tailed-flycatcher (https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlife/nongamespecies/birds/scissor-tailed-flycatcher)
Hunter
If I am not mistaken, they only come to Texas and Oklahoma for the summer breeding season.
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none look like house sparrows to me
That first one was so messed up from the shot, I couldn't tell at all.
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Alright thanks guys so breeding males are the only targets today. No females today just the dangerous ones.
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Alright thanks guys so breeding males are the only targets today. No females today just the dangerous ones.
They are both destructive. The only reason I only shoot females that are accompanied by a male is because the females look like some of the other sparrow species, and are also similar to female house finches, which I have here, and I don't want to shoot the wrong bird.
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Regarding the females, I use plenty of magnification to make out the distinctive white mark behind the eye.
And any time there is a choice between a male or a female house sparrow, the female is my target since the goal is to reduce the population as much as possible.
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Wow it's so windy today. I can't call my windage right not even on the .25. But I don't see any birds I like today so I wouldn't call it mission failed.
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I think the 3rd and maybe the 4th one you got looks to be a white crown sparrow though.
Picture #3 is definitely not a sparrow at all. (OK, to be fair, house sparrows aren't actually sparrows, but at least they lLOOK like sparrows.)
And pic number 2 is most definitely two dead SONG sparrows.
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Identifying HOS's is pretty tough, especially the females, but please try, guys.
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That second photo doesn't look to me like house sparrows. The male HS has a black "bib" on his chest. The female will typically be WITH the male. I don't normally shoot at any female unless she is accompanied by a male, since they look similar to a few other species.
Agreed, the females are REALLY tough.
With the males, the one absolute identifier is the grey cap. (A wide stripe of grey in-between brown on either side.)
Another way to tell both is by the pitch of their call. They sound just like tree sparrows, except the pitch is maybe 3-4 steps lower.
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New to bird watching but I seen these aggressive little birds swarm on the birds I really like. Like this one I seen today and I don't even know what it is.
That's a scissor tailed flycatcher. Love that bird. How lucky you are! I see them often at the aviary but not from my own back porch!
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/scissor-tailed-flycatcher (https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/scissor-tailed-flycatcher)
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https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Scissor-tailed_Flycatcher/overview (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Scissor-tailed_Flycatcher/overview)
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There's two of the scissor birds and they are still here at the house. Luckily they haven't been chased off like some of the other birds I've seen. I've seen hosp mobs swarm a bird in mid air and swoop in on em like kamikaze pilots.
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Identifying HOS's is pretty tough, especially the females, but please try, guys.
So today I didn't take my own advice. I shot a Sparrow I had never quite seen before, but it seemed like a variant of a HOS. Much closer than to any other sparrow.
It turned out to be a "Chipping" sparrow" (look it up.)
It did have a narrow grey area on its cap, clean cheeks, correct eye markings, etc. And on countless Google searches for "NY State sparrows" it never turned up. Plus, it arrived along with a flock of "definite" HOS, and it was huge.
So now I'm a murderer of innocent chipping sparrows. I will surely burn in Hades for all eternity! :-[ ;D
Well, at least it was a good shot & he died instantly.
My point is.... well, you know what my point is.
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Oh no!
Those guys are really small and very grey. Males have tawny red crest. You may have just taken one bird count away from someone doing a "big year". Lots of migration happening right now I dont see any brown headed cow birds. I sometimes miistake those for starlings.
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Oh no!
Those guys are really small and very grey.
That's why I made the mistake. They're supposed to be small but this one was the size of a robin! He must have been a freak. (Or more likely, he's REALLY been enjoying my feeder's all year. Peanut Suet & mealworms .....)
And he did have some grey in the center of his crown. The very bright orange-brown of the main crown should have tipped me off, but I saw that grey, and the size of the thing, and the frustration of never having a HOS stand long enough to remove my safety & take a shot just overtook me.
Makes you realize how easily accidents can happen in the woods. Gotta' be clam & patient. Gotta' let it go if you're not sure.
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These little birds can mix, then it's very difficult to discern the species. I know that most birds are federally protected, but I don't know about mixes.
Hunter
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HOSP are flighty, Same with starlings, most song birds will stick around long enough to shot them a dozen times.
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I've noticed the hosp breeding males are the hardest because they don't stay in the same spot for long. By the time I got the range in and wind angle from the position and get the rifle on target its I another location. Wind has been sparatic lately so need every shot to be roughly same direction.
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I've noticed the hosp breeding males are the hardest because they don't stay in the same spot for long. By the time I got the range in and wind angle from the position and get the rifle on target its I another location. Wind has been sparatic lately so need every shot to be roughly same direction.
If it is a male, play them this (best with a bluetooth speaker turned up). It will get them staying in one spot trying to figure out who found a nest. Once they come over stop playing it because you may draw them in too close.
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/249690221 (https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/249690221)
If they have a nest and you take out the male, this will get the female out trying to figure out where her mate is.
Please shoot the male first as the female looks like other birds (established). The female usually hangs around too. Look at the female below:
(https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/photo/305874101-480px.jpg)
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Also, these birds will pattern you. They practice counterterrorism. If you miss you may see less. Missed one yesterday dang it! If they have a nest they will come back.
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These little birds can mix, then it's very difficult to discern the species. I know that most birds are federally protected, but I don't know about mixes.
Hunter
+1. The LBB's (little brown birds) look too much alike and federally protected, most birds are.
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The 2 in the pic are definitely Chipping Sparrows. I have many of them in the backyard, and you can tell by the brown spots on their chest and the yellow stripe on their head. HOSP's do not have any yellow..
Anyway we have established that these were not legal kills. The male HOSP has a different crown on its head and a distinct gray/black round spot on its chest, brighter colors, and stick out among the females. The female HOSP's are more dull/plain looking with light brown & tan colors. An easy way to distinguish the female HOSP besides a bulkier beak than that of the other Sparrows" is a tan line that goes from their eye to the back of their head - like in the pic above. This line will vary in size & length as will the shade of tan color but all female HOSP's have it. Let a flock of HOSP's land on your lawn and then study them with bino's or your scope. You will learn to easily recognize them in a short amount of time, even with the naked eye after that from 15-20yds out.
The most common non-HOSP sparrows in our backyards are the White-throated Sparrow and Chipping Sparrow. These 2 and others look like a HOSP from a distance, but once on them with your scope you should be able to easily spot the many differences between them.
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The 2 in the pic are definitely Chipping Sparrows. I have many of them in the backyard, and you can tell by the brown spots on their chest and the yellow stripe on their head. HOSP's do not have any yellow..
I think you're confusing Chipping Sparrows with Savannah Sparrows. Chipping sparrows have no spots / streaks on their chest, and no yellow. Savannahs do.
The only other Sparrow I've found pics of with brown streaks on their chest is, again, the Song Sparrow, which is almost definitely what's in the OP's second picture.
There is also the very similar-looking House Finch.
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I've noticed the hosp breeding males are the hardest because they don't stay in the same spot for long. By the time I got the range in and wind angle from the position and get the rifle on target its I another location. Wind has been sparatic lately so need every shot to be roughly same direction.
If it is a male, play them this (best with a bluetooth speaker turned up). It will get them staying in one spot trying to figure out who found a nest. Once they come over stop playing it because you may draw them in too close.
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/249690221 (https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/249690221)
If they have a nest and you take out the male, this will get the female out trying to figure out where her mate is.
Please shoot the male first as the female looks like other birds (established). The female usually hangs around too. Look at the female below:
(https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/photo/305874101-480px.jpg)
Nice I will try this out soon. I know exactly what these male hosp look like now.
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This has been a great thread even though it started with an error.
I think that I've learned as much about birds on GTA as I have about airguns!
It's difficult to determine the exact species in such a short time. It's very difficult! House Sparrows are far more difficult for me than Starlings or Red Winged Blackbirds.
Hunter
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Lol
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So yea it was not a good start but now it's alot of information that I learned here.
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The 2 in the pic are definitely Chipping Sparrows. I have many of them in the backyard, and you can tell by the brown spots on their chest and the yellow stripe on their head. HOSP's do not have any yellow..
I think you're confusing Chipping Sparrows with Savannah Sparrows. Chipping sparrows have no spots / streaks on their chest, and no yellow. Savannahs do.
The only other Sparrow I've found pics of with brown streaks on their chest is, again, the Song Sparrow, which is almost definitely what's in the OP's second picture.
There is also the very similar-looking House Finch.
I meant to type white-throated sparrow because of the yellow on the head of 1 of the birds, but that picture has now been removed. In any case, we know they were not HOSP's which is the important thing when we cannot identify the exact species. As long as you train to identify HOSP's, you don't need to know all the other species of sparrows. We can only legally shoot HOSP, Starling, and Rock (common) pigeon in most states, and "black birds" with a nuisance permit, and crow during the fall/winter season.
Harry
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This site is very informative.
https://notonlybirds.com/sparrows-in-texas/
Hunter
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I for sure got a hosp this time. I had a red jay looking bird at my bird feeder when 2 of these little creatures swooped in on em and scared him off. Went to the armory came back, & one of these rascals was still there to take the room temp challenge.
Not sure if I should post pic for verification. It's also gruesome.
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I'm happy that you've got it sorted out.
Hunter
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I for sure got a hosp this time. I had a red jay looking bird at my bird feeder when 2 of these little creatures swooped in on em and scared him off. Went to the armory came back, & one of these rascals was still there to take the room temp challenge.
Not sure if I should post pic for verification. It's also gruesome.
There is no problem with posting pictures..just make sure they are legal kills.
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I for sure got a hosp this time. I had a red jay looking bird at my bird feeder when 2 of these little creatures swooped in on em and scared him off.
The "red jay" had to be a Cardinal. The male is bright red, and the female Cardinal is lighter red/brown.
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HOSP's were difficult for me to identify for the longest time. Looked at photos, watched videos and even bought a bird identification book. We have some swallows in the area, and after finding out what the hosp's do to them I try to keep their numbers down. In fact I have a pair of swallows that have recently took residence in one of the bird houses I have. I enjoy having them and will do my part to keep them safe.
If not 100% sure of your intended target don't shoot, if you do, don't post. With birds its not worth it. Mice, rats or other rodents are fair game. Just looking out for you.
Take it easy, be safe.