The Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) is a small sparrow

American sparrow

American sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming part of the family Emberizidae. American sparrows are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns....

 of North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

.

Overview

Adults have light brown upperparts and pale underparts, with darker streaks on the back. They have a pale crown stripe on a dark brown crown, a white line over the eyes, a dark line through the eyes, a light brown cheek patch and brown wings with wing bars. The short bill is pale with a dark tip and the back of the neck is grey; they have a long tail. Non-breeding adults and immature resemble Chipping Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

The Chipping Sparrow is a species of American sparrow in the family Emberizidae. It is widespread, fairly tame, and common across most of its North American range.-Description:...

s and Brewer's Sparrow

Brewer's Sparrow

Brewer's Sparrow is a small, slim species of American sparrow in the family Emberizidae. This bird was named after the ornithologist Thomas Mayo Brewer.-Description and systematics:...

s; they often form flocks with these birds outside of the nesting season.

Their breeding habitat is shrubby open areas and Jack Pine

Jack Pine

Jack pine is a North American pine with its native range in Canada east of the Rocky Mountains from Northwest Territories to Nova Scotia, and the northeast of the United States from Minnesota to Maine, with the southernmost part of the range just into northwest Indiana...

 woods across central Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 and central northern United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 east to the Great Lakes, and is expanding further eastward. The nest is an open cup on the ground or low in a shrub.

These birds migrate

Bird migration

Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...

 in flocks to southern Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 and Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

.

They forage on the ground, mainly eating seeds and insects. Outside of the nesting season, they often feed in small flocks. While nesting, these birds may feed far from the nest; feeding areas are not defended.

The male sings from an open perch to indicate his ownership of the nesting territory. The song is a "Bzzzz bzzzz za za".

This bird's nests are often parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

The Brown-headed Cowbird is a small brood parasitic icterid of temperate to subtropical North America. They are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or...

; the nest may be abandoned when this happens.

Book

• Knapton, R. W. 1994. Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida). In The Birds of North America, No. 120 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists’ Union.

Thesis

• Bakker KK. Ph.D. (2000). Avian occurrence in woodlands and grasslands on public areas throughout eastern South Dakota. South Dakota State University, United States, South Dakota.

• Davis SK. Ph.D. (2003). Habitat selection and demography of mixed-grass prairie songbirds in a fragmented landscape. The University of Regina (Canada), Canada.

• Grieef PM. M.Sc. (1995). Cues used by brood parasites and predators to locate nests. The University of Manitoba (Canada), Canada.

• Hill DP. M.Sc. (1992). An experimental study of nest desertion by the clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida) in response to cowbird parasitism. The University of Manitoba (Canada), Canada.

• Kerns CK. M.S. (2004). Passerine nest ecology in managed, mixed-grass prairie. University of Missouri - Columbia, United States, Missouri.

• Knapton RW. Ph.D. (1978). BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY OF THE CLAY-COLORED SPARROW SPIZELLA PALLIDA. The University of Manitoba (Canada), Canada.

• Romig GP. D.A. (1994). The impact of cowbird parasitism on a North Dakota population of clay-colored sparrows. The University of North Dakota, United States, North Dakota.

Articles

• Bakker KK, Naugle DE & Higgins KF. (2002). Incorporating landscape attributes into models for migratory grassland bird conservation. Conservation Biology. vol 16, no 6. pp. 1638–1646.

• Benson A-M, Pogson TH & Doyle TJ. (2000). Updated geographic distribution of eight passerine species in central Alaska. Western Birds. vol 31, no 2. pp. 100–105.

• Cosens SE & Falls JB. (1984). A Comparison of Sound Propagation and Song Frequency in Temperate Marsh and Grassland Habitats. Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology. vol 15, no 3. pp. 161–170.

• Cunningham MA, Johnson DH & Svingen DN. (2006). Estimates of breeding bird Populations in the Sheyenne National Grassland, North Dakota. Prairie Naturalist. vol 38, no 1. pp. 39–56.

• Davis SK. (2003). Nesting ecology of mixed-grass prairie songbirds in southern Saskatchewan. Wilson Bulletin. vol 115, no 2. pp. 119–130.

• Davis SK. (2004). Area sensitivity in grassland passerines: Effects of patch size, patch shape, and vegetation structure on bird abundance and occurrence in southern Saskatchewan. Auk. vol 121, no 4. pp. 1130–1145.

• Davis SK, Brigham RM, Shaffer TL & James PC. (2006). Mixed-grass prairie passerines exhibit weak and variable responses to patch size. Auk. vol 123, no 3. pp. 807–821.

• Forsyth DJ, Hinks CF & Westcott ND. (1994). FEEDING BY CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS ON GRASSHOPPERS AND TOXICITY OF CARBOFURAN RESIDUES. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. vol 13, no 5. pp. 781–788.

• Ganier AF, Goodpasture KA, Laskey AR & Bierly M. (1969). Clay-Colored Sparrow in Hardin County. Migrant. vol 40, no 4. pp. 84–85.

• Grant TA, Madden EM, Shaffer TL, Pietz PJ, Berkey GB & Kadrmas NJ. (2006). Nest survival of clay-colored and vesper sparrows in relation to woodland edge in mixed-grass prairies. Journal of Wildlife Management. vol 70, no 3. pp. 691–701.

• Grant TA, Shaffer TL, Madden EM & Pietz PJ. (2005). Time-specific variation in passerine nest survival: New insights into old questions. Auk. vol 122, no 2. pp. 661–672.

• Grieef PM & Sealy SG. (2000). Simulated host activity does not attract parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater). Bird Behavior. vol 13, no 2. pp. 69–78.

• Higgins KF, Arnold TW & Barta RM. (1984). Breeding Bird Community Colonization of Sown Stands of Native Grasses in North-Dakota USA. Prairie Naturalist. vol 16, no 4. pp. 177–182.

• Hill DP & Sealy SG. (1994). Desertion of nests parasitized by cowbirds: Have clay-coloured sparrows evolved an anti-parasite defence?. Animal Behaviour. vol 48, no 5. pp. 1063–1070.

• Hoag DJ. (1999). Hybridization between Clay-colored sparrow and Field sparrow in northern Vermont. Wilson Bulletin. vol 111, no 4. pp. 581–584.

• Ingold JL & Woods PE. (1982). The Clay-Colored Sparrow Spizella-Pallida in Ohio USA a 3rd State Collection. Ohio Journal of Science. vol 82, no 4. pp. 211–213.

• Johnson DH & Igl LD. (2001). Area requirements of grassland birds: A regional perspective. Auk. vol 118, no 1. pp. 24–34.

• Knapton RW. (1978). Breeding Ecology of the Clay-Colored Sparrow Spizella-Pallida. Living Bird. vol 17, pp. 137–158.

• Knapton RW. (1978). Sex and Age Determination in the Clay-Colored Sparrow. Bird Banding. vol 49, no 2. pp. 152–156.

• Knapton RW. (1979). OPTIMAL SIZE OF TERRITORY IN THE CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, SPIZELLA-PALLIDA. Canadian Journal of Zoology-Revue Canadienne De Zoologie. vol 57, no 7. pp. 1358–1370.

• Knapton RW. (1980). Nestling Foods and Foraging Patterns in the Clay-Colored Sparrow Spizella-Pallida. Wilson Bulletin. vol 94, no 4. pp. 458–465.

• Knapton RW. (1982). GEOGRAPHIC SIMILARITY AND YEAR-TO-YEAR RETENTION OF SONG IN THE CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (SPIZELLA-PALLIDA). Behaviour. vol 79, pp. 189–200.

• Madden EM, Hansen AJ & Murphy RK. (1999). Influence of prescribed fire history on habitat and abundance of passerine birds in northern mixed-grass prairie. Canadian Field-Naturalist. vol 113, no 4. pp. 627–640.

• Madden EM, Murphy RK, Hansen AJ & Murray L. (2000). Models for guiding management of prairie bird habitat in northwestern North Dakota. American Midland Naturalist. vol 144, no 2. pp. 377–392.

• Munson ES. (1992). Influence of Nest Cover on Habitat Selection in Clay-Colored Sparrows. The Wilson Bulletin. vol 104, no 3. p. 525.

• Pietz PJ & Granfors DA. (2000). Identifying predators and fates of grassland passerine nests using miniature video cameras. Journal of Wildlife Management. vol 64, no 1. pp. 71–87.

• Pietz PJ & Granfors DA. (2000). White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) predation on grassland songbird nestlings. American Midland Naturalist. vol 144, no 2. pp. 419–422.

• Pylypec B. (1991). IMPACTS OF FIRE ON BIRD POPULATIONS IN A FESCUE PRAIRIE. Canadian Field-Naturalist. vol 105, no 3. pp. 346–349.

• Romig GP & Crawford RD. (1996). Clay-colored sparrows in North Dakota parasitized by brown-headed cowbirds. Prairie Naturalist. vol 27, no 4. pp. 193–203.

• Schulte LS & Niemi GJ. (1998). Bird communities of early-successional burned and logged forest. Journal of Wildlife Management. vol 62, no 4. pp. 1418–1429.

• Simpson MBJ. (1968). Clay Colored Sparrow at Columbia South-Carolina USA Record. Chat. vol 32, no 3.

• Sodhi NS. (1992). Comparison between urban and rural bird communities in prairie Saskatchewan: Urbanization and short-term population trends. Canadian Field Naturalist. vol 106, no 2. pp. 210–215.

• Waters A. (2000). First Clay-colored Sparrow for Augusta. Oriole. vol 65, no 1-2.

• Wilson SD & Belcher JW. (1989). Plant and Bird Communities of Native Prairie and Introduced Eurasian Vegetation in Manitoba Canada. Conservation Biology. vol 3, no 1. pp. 39–44.

• Winter M, Johnson DH & Shaffer JA. (2005). Variability in vegetation effects on density and nesting success of grassland birds. Journal of Wildlife Management. vol 69, no 1. pp. 185–197.

• Winter M, Johnson DH, Shaffer JA, Donovan TM & Svedarsky WD. (2006). Patch size and landscape effects on density and nesting success of grassland birds. Journal of Wildlife Management. vol 70, no 1. pp. 158–172.

• Winter M, Johnson DH, Shaffer JA & Svedarsky WD. (2004). Nesting biology of three grassland passerines in the northern tallgrass prairie. Wilson Bulletin. vol 116, no 3. pp. 211–223.

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External links

• Clay-colored Sparrow videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Clay-colored Sparrow Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
• Clay-colored Sparrow - Spizella pallida - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
• Clay-colored Sparrow photo gallery VIREO