On May 8 Andrew and Tim Davis found and photographed a singing bird not on the ABA Checklist, a Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) near Georgetown, Colorado, in the mountains west of Denver.
Rufous-collared Sparrow is the only tropical member of the Zonotrichia genus and a popular cage bird in parts of its range. It is common to abundant in its extensive range including many higher elevation cities in South America and it occurs, depending on the country, from sea level to over 11,000 feet. The range of Rufous-collared Sparrow extends south from the highlands of the Mexican state of Chiapas to southern Chile and southern Argentina. It also occurs in the Cordillera Central of the Dominican Republic. Almost all of the 28 subspecies recognized by Clements are sedentary. During the austral winter, Z. c. australis from southern Chile and southern Argentina migrate north, but only as far as Bolivia and northern Argentina (SPARROWS AND BUNTINGS, A Guide to the Sparrows and Buntings of North America and the World.
Many Coloradans have gone to see this bird and COBirds listserve posts asking “why can’t it be a wild bird” have begun.
This is a common cage bird in the United States as well being imported from Peru. If birds are of the various Peruvian races it's an escapee. If not it might be a vagrant...
Posted by: Jack Eitniear | May 26, 2011 at 10:45 AM