[Tweeters] Sound ID - Junco vs. Chipping Sparrow

[Carol Riddell via Tweeters]

As others have noted, Merlin’s Sound ID very often offers both Chipping Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco as suggestions when you are looking at or hearing a junco. The songs of both species are quite similar. Development of Sound ID’s AI is not far enough along to correctly distinguish between the two species. In Western Washington, the best practice for those using Sound ID is to assume you are hearing a junco. As a best practice for Western Washington birding, Chipping Sparrow should not be added to a public data checklist without seeing it, in my opinion.

I recently birded along the west side of Green Lake. As the path neared Aurora, the swish of vehicle tires prompted Sound ID to keep offering Chipping Sparrow as a suggestion. Each time I saved and played back the recording, all I heard was the swish of tires on asphalt. I looked hard and never saw a Chipping Sparrow on the ground or in any of the trees.

Carol Riddell
Edmonds, WA