LBB

There are plenty of enthusiastic naturalists, even some serious birders, who absolutely refuse to learn to identify the vast array of small sparrows. They just refer to all of them as "LBB," short for Little Brown Bird. I have to admit I feel much the same way. I know it's important to appreciate biological diversity and all, but really, life is too short to spend it sorting out every eye stripe and wing bar.

I do, however, have a favorite identifiable LBB, the chipping sparrow. They're common as dirt. You've almost certainly seen them if you live anywhere in the US, but you might not have taken notice. They're tiny ground foragers, and even though they often move around in sizeable flocks, they're easy to overlook.

I ran into a group of them today, and I just stood for a while and watched them. It was a busy bird day--lots of wren and titmouse action, and the nuthatches were everywhere--but there is something especially engaging about the itty-bitty chipping sparrows. The Cornell page I linked to above says they are 5-6 inches in size, but they're actually often smaller than that, so their little copper-colored heads bob up out of the grass or leaves like jumping beans. And they have a sweet, twittery song that somehow matches their dainty appearance. They're one of the few wild birds I can imagine keeping as a pet--not that I ever would.




Photo from Wikimedia Commons