Field Sparrow
Encyclopedia
The Field Sparrow 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 the nesting season
.
The male sings from a higher perch, such as a shrub or fencepost, which indicates 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.
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....
.
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
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...
. 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
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...
to the southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
.
These birds forage on the ground or in low vegetation, mainly eating insects and seeds. They may feed in small flocks outside the nesting season
Nesting season
The nesting season is the time of year during which birds and some other animals, particularly some reptiles, build nests, lay eggs in them, and in most cases bring up their young. It is usually in the spring....
.
The male sings from a higher perch, such as a shrub or fencepost, which indicates 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.
External links
- Field Sparrow Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Field Sparrow Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Field Sparrow - Spizella pusilla - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter