This is a Lincoln’s Sparrow, banded at NJMC’s banding station. Dennis Cheeseman added the hat, even though this sparrow was not named for our 16th president — James Jay Audubon named it for Thomas Lincoln, who was Audubon’s traveling companion on a trip to Labrador in 1833 and who reportedly collected the first specimen.
Congrats to all who ID’d it correctly. And a tip of the hat to Dennis Cheeseman.
Did you know that Audubon originally named it not Lincoln’s sparrow but
“Tom’s Finch, in honour of our friend Lincoln, who was a great favourite among us. Three cheers were given him” when “with his usual unerring aim, he cut short its career” (OrnBio 2:539).
There’s a move afoot to have this bird named the national bird of Canada: http://ibisibis.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-vote-for-national-bird-of-canada.html
Thanks much!