Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis
STANFORD LOCATIONS:

Fairly common migrant and winter resident in areas having broad expanses of short vegetation. Occurs primarily in the dry bed of Lagunita in fall and in short grassland near the Dish, but may visit playfields and the Oval.
  
Nest
Location
Nest
Type
Eggs
Mating System
Dev.
Parental Care
Primary &
2ndary Diet
Foraging
Strategy
F-M
I: (10-)12-13 DAYS
ALTRICIAL
0 feet - O.5 feet
F
3-5(2-6)
MONOG
(POLYGYN)
F: 7-10(-14?) DAYS
MF
SEEDS
SNAILS
BREEDING: Grassland, meadow, tundra, marsh, bog, cultivated grassy areas. 2 broods; 1 in far n.
DISPLAYS: Courtship: on ground, male rapidly vibrates wings above back; low, slow flight on rapidly vibrating wings with head and tail raised; flight song.
NEST: Usu in natural or excavated depression, rim flush with ground, well concealed by overhanging veg; of coarse grass, lined with fine materials.
EGGS: Pale greenish-blue, off-white, marked with brown, occ wreathed. 0.8" (20 mm).
DIET: Includes spiders; seeds mostly of grass.
CONSERVATION: Winters s through Mexico to Honduras; also Bahamas, Cuba, assoc islands; resident in s CA salt marshes. Uncommon cowbird host. One of several distinct races, the Ipswich Sparrow breeds only on Sable Island off Nova Scotia and numbers <1000.
NOTES: Occ appears semicolonial, esp marsh populations. Polygyny common in some populations. First clutches often larger than second. 85% of brooding by female. Female occ performs distraction display: low flight with shallow wingbeats, feigns injury with spread wings and tail. Runs mouselike on ground. Roosts in small compact groups on ground in short grass. Forms small, loose winter aggregations
ESSAYS: Polygyny; Distraction Displays; Variation in Clutch Sizes.
REFERENCES: Bedard and LaPointe, 1985; Bedard and Meunier, 1983; Weatherhead, 1979; Williams, 1987.

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Except for Stanford Locations, the material in this species treatment is taken, with permission, from The Birder's Handbook (Paul Ehrlich, David Dobkin, & Darryl Wheye, Simon & Schuster, NY. 1988).