25 June 2024
Today I’m with a group of friends looking for a bird that sounds like a bug in Clarion County, PA.
We’re at Piney Tract, State Gamelands 330, where we expect to hear — and maybe see — grasshopper, field, Henslow’s and song sparrows.
Many grassland sparrows sound like bugs — hence the name “grasshopper” sparrow — but the bird we’re looking for is a clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida) who sounds like this:
This bird is special because he’s outside his normal range.
Here’s one in North Dakota.
Dan Mendenhall saw the bird last Friday so we stand a good chance of finding it. See Dan’s photo here.
How’d it go? Did you find it?
Yes we did! One of the people in the group had a pin drop for it and it was spot on. As soon as we got there we heard the bird & one of us (not me) saw where it was perching.