Today’s Bird ID Quiz features some bird species that may look the same at first glance. But look closer for subtle differences.
I never thought I would have to worry about about mistaking these first twin-looking species. Until recently, one of them was rarely seen in Southern Wisconsin. Can you name these two dove species?
The species on the left is found in all of the United States plus Canada, Mexico and Central America. The species on the right (that escaped a pet shop in the Bahamas in the 1970s!) has been increasing its range. It’s now a year-round resident in much of United States except the mid-Atlantic and New England states.
The bird on the left is a Mourning Dove. Its twin on the right is a Eurasian-collared Dove. Both bird species frequent urban and suburban areas and are not particular about the kind of birdseed that you offer at your feeders. They’ll eat just about any seed or nut.
So how can you tell them apart? It’s that little “collar” on the aptly-named Eurasian-collared Dove that is the most helpful difference.
Here are some other ways you can tell them apart:
- Mourning Doves have black spots on their backs but Eurasian-collared Doves don’t
- Mourning Doves are smaller than Eurasian-collared Doves
- Only the wings of Mourning Doves “whistle” when the birds fly
Their calls are also different. The Eurasian-collared Dove call is described as “impatient” compared to the Mourning Dove’s call.
One species of the next set of “twins” is also new for me as a life-long birder. Both of these sparrow species are non-natives, but only one has established a tiny, year-round range at the intersection of Illinois, Missouri and Iowa.
The other bird can be found in all of the United States, Mexico and Central and South America. You might even find it hopping around in a McDonald’s parking lot looking for a discarded french fry!
The french-fry-loving bird on the right is our common House Sparrow.
The bird on the left is a Eurasian Tree Sparrow. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “In late April 1870, a shipment of European birds from Germany was released in St. Louis, Missouri, in order to provide familiar bird species for newly settled European immigrants. The shipment included 12 hardy Eurasian Tree Sparrows. These chestnut-capped, white-cheeked arrivals prospered in the hedges and woodlots of the region, ultimately spreading through northeastern Missouri, west-central Illinois, and southeastern Iowa.”
Here’s how to tell these twin species apart:
- Eurasian Tree Sparrows have black spot on their cheeks whereas House Sparrows have unmarked gray cheeks
- Eurasian Tree Sparrows have an entirely reddish-brown crown (top of head) whereas House Sparrow males have a gray crown.
- House Sparrows are commonly found in urban areas whereas Eurasian Tree Sparrows have been bullied into more rural areas like fields, meadows and farms.
Despite the fact that Eurasian Tree Sparrows have a very small range in the United States (again where Iowa, Missouri and Illinois intersect), they have been spotted in other states. Last week a pair was seen in a backyard in Arlington, Wisconsin. Previous sightings have taken place in Green, Sheyboygan and La Crosse counties in my state. If this species has made it to Wisconsin, they have no doubt traveled to other states as well, so keep your eye out for them!
The next time you see a Mourning Dove or a House Sparrow, take a closer look. You might be surprised to discover you’re actually looking at a different species!