Field Sparrows

Sparrows

The Field Sparrow, Spizella pusilla, is a small sparrow.

Adults have brown upperparts, a light brown breast, a white belly, wing bars and a forked tail. They have a grey face, a rusty crown, a white eye ring and a pink bill.

Their breeding habitat is shrubby fields across eastern North America. The nest is an open cup on the ground under a clump of grass or in a small thicket.

These birds are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range. Northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico.

These birds forage on the ground or in low vegetation, mainly eating insects and seeds. They may feed in small flocks outside of the nesting season.

The male sings from a higher perch, such as a shrub or fencepost, to indicate his ownership of the nesting territory. The song is a series of sad whistles ending in a trill.

This bird's numbers expanded as settlers cleared forests in eastern North America, but may have declined in more recent times.

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Spizella pusilla. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 05 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org

Photo, Video and/or Article contributions are welcome! Please click here for info

The Avianweb strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU!