This post is geared towards specifing the different features among facial patterns in North American Sparrows in particular. These terms vary across and throughout, but here I will lay out what I have adopted for use based around extensive interactions with ornithologist and birders of all experience. I have personally found them to be a balance of both technical, and easy to understand. 1. Supercilium (Eyebrow) This group of feathers extends from the base of the bill above the lores (#3) all the way back to the nape (#8). Contrastingly light in some species while streaked or blended in others. 2. Supraloral The beginning portion of the supercilium just above the lores (#3) in front of the eye. This is the area that is typically yellow in Savannah and White-throated Sparrows 3. Lores The group of feathers just in front of the eye. Examples of species with dark/shaded lores or a “loral line” would be Chipping, Olive, and Rufous-winged Sparrows. Sometimes this area is f
A work in progress