Chapter 7

_Range._ Nests from North Carolina and Kentucky to Canada; winters from its southern nesting limits to the Gulf States.

Washington, P.R., very common T.V., less so in summer and winter. Ossining, tolerably common S.R., Apl. 2-Nov. 4. Cambridge, common S.R., Apl. 5-Oct. 25. N. Ohio, abundant S.R., Mch. 20-Nov. 7. Glen Ellyn, fairly common S.R., Mch. 21-Oct. 25. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 1-Oct. 29.

A Sparrow of broad fields and plains whose song voices the spirit of open places. Neither words nor musical notation can describe it recognizably. It has somewhat the form of the Song Sparrow's song, just as the two birds resemble each other in form but are unlike in detail. One must, therefore, first learn to know the bird--an easy matter, since it is common and can be readily identified by its white outer tail-feathers--and thereafter you will be the richer for a knowledge of this rarely appealing bit of bird music.

The nest, as one might suppose, is built on the ground, and the 4-5 whitish spotted eggs are laid early in May.

IPSWICH SPARROW

_Passerculus princeps_

With a general resemblance to the Savannah Sparrow (Case 5. Fig. 23) but larger, L. 6-1/4, and decidedly paler.

_Range._ Nests on Sable Island off Nova Scotia; winters south, along the coast, regularly to New Jersey; rarely to Georgia.

Cambridge, casual, two instances, Oct.

Few migratory birds have a more restricted breeding range than the Ipswich Sparrow. Confined to a sandbar island during the summer where it is never out of sight or sound of the sea, it seeks similar haunts during the winter when it is rarely found far from the immediate vicinity of the ocean. In general habits and nesting, it resembles the Savannah Sparrow, of which indeed, it is doubtless an island representative.

SAVANNAH SPARROW

_Passerculus sandwichensis savanna. Case 4, Fig. 47; Case 5, Fig. 23_

In general color slightly paler than the Vesper Sparrow; smaller than that species; no white tail-feathers; a touch of yellow before the eye and on the bend of the wing. L. 5-3/4.

_Range._ Nests from Long Island and northern Iowa to Canada; winters from southern New Jersey and southern Indiana southward to Mexico.

Washington, abundant T.V., Mch. 20-May 11; Sept. 21-Oct. 23; a few winter. Ossining, common T.V., Apl. 3-May 13; Aug. 28-Oct. 28. Cambridge, abundant T.V., Apl., Oct.; breeds sparingly. N. Ohio, not common T.V., Mch. 20-May 12. Glen Ellyn, fairly plentiful S.R., Apl. 8-Oct. 20. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 17-Oct. 23.

An abundant Sparrow known only to bird students. It prefers fields to door-yards; lives much on the ground, and its darting flight, followed by a sudden dive to cover, and insignificant song all combine to make it rather difficult of identification. It nests in May, laying 4-5 white, speckled eggs in a nest on the ground.

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW

_Ammodramus savannarum australis. Case 7, Fig. 16_

A small, short-tailed Sparrow, without streaks on the underparts and a back pattern which suggests 'feather scales.' L. 5-1/2.

_Range._ Eastern United States, nesting as far north as southern Minnesota, and southern New Hampshire; winters from southern Illinois and North Carolina to the tropics. The Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (_A. s. floridanus_) a smaller, darker race, is resident in the Kissimmee prairies of south central Florida.

Washington, very common S.R., Apl. 17-Nov. 20. Ossining common S.R., Apl. 27-Oct. 23. Cambridge, rare S.R., May 16-Sept. 1. N. Ohio, common S.R., Apl. 20-Sept. 20. Glen Ellyn, not common S.R., May 4-Sept. 13. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 25-Sept. 6.

Grasshopper, he is called, because his unmusical little song, _pit-túck, zee-e-e-e-e_, sung from a low perch, resembles the sound produced by that insect. He is a common inhabitant of old fields, where sorrel and daisies grow, and when flushed at one's feet darts away to drop suddenly to the ground beyond. The 4-5, white, spotted eggs are laid in a ground nest in late May or early June.

HENSLOW'S SPARROW

_Passerherbulus henslowi henslowi. Case 7, Fig. 17_

With the general proportions of the Grasshopper Sparrow, but the underparts distinctly streaked and the nape olive. L. 5.

_Range._ Nests from southern Missouri and Virginia to central Minnesota and New Hampshire; winters in the Southern States.

Washington, common S.R., Apl. 10-Oct. 21. Ossining, rare T.V., Oct. 5-Oct. 10. Cambridge, very rare S.R. N. Ohio, S.R., Glen Ellyn, not common S.R., May 8-Sept. 26. SE. Minn., common S.R.

Henslow's Sparrow lives in isolated and sometimes widely separated communities, frequenting wet meadows in summer, but visiting, also, dry fields in winter. It has the general habits of the Grasshopper Sparrow and its notes are equally unmusical. The 4-5 grayish white, thickly speckled eggs are laid in a ground nest the latter half of May.

LECONTE'S SPARROW

_Passerherbulus lecontei. Case 7, Fig. 18_

The underparts are but slightly streaked, the crown is striped, and the nape reddish brown. L. 5.

_Range._ Nesting in the interior of North America from our border States, northward and east to Minnesota; migrates southward and south-eastward, and winters locally from South Carolina to Florida and Texas.

Glen Ellyn, not common T.V., May 4-?; Sept. 8-Oct. 6. SE. Minn, uncommon S.R., May 1-Oct. 17.

This is the third and rarest member of the trio of small, retiring Sparrows of which the Grasshopper Sparrow is the commonest. It is found east of the Mississippi only in the winter when it may be associated with the Grasshopper and Henslow's Sparrows.

SHARP-TAILED SPARROW

_Passerherbulus caudacutus. Case 6, Fig. 47_

A buffy Sparrow with the underparts sharply streaked with black. L. 5-3/4.

_Range._ Salt marshes of the Atlantic coast; nests from Virginia to Massachusetts; winters from New Jersey to Florida.

Cambridge, formerly common S.R., but occurs no longer.

An abundant inhabitant of salt marshes. There is, or was, a colony on the Hudson River immediately south of the long pier from which Piermont takes its name, but with this exception I have never seen this Sparrow beyond the sound of the surf. It runs about through the thick marsh grasses taking wing only when hard pressed. Its song is short and insignificant. It nests on the ground, the 3-4 grayish white, finely speckled eggs being laid in late May or early June.

NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW

_Passerherbulus nelsoni nelsoni_

Resembles the Sharp-tailed but is smaller and has the throat, breast and sides deeper, very slightly, if at all, streaked with blackish; the upperparts more broadly margined with whitish. L. 5-1/2.

_Range._ Nests in the interior from South Dakota northward to Great Slave Lake; migrates south to Texas and southeast through New York and Massachusetts to North Carolina and Florida.

Washington, rare T.V., May-Sept. Ossining, tolerably common T.V., Sept. 28-Oct. 17. Cambridge, formerly uncommon T.V. Glen Ellyn, one record, Oct. 2, 1893. SE. Minn., uncommon T.V.

This is a fresh-water representative of the Sharp-tail which nests in the prairie sloughs of the interior and reaches the Atlantic coast during its migrations and in the winter. It resembles the Sharp-tail in habits and when on the coast, may be found associated with it.

The Acadian Sharp-tailed Sparrow (_P. n. subvirgatus_) is similar to the Sharp-tailed Sparrow but is paler above; the throat, breast and sides are washed with cream-buff and indistinctly streaked with ashy. It nests on the salt marshes of the Atlantic coast from Maine to Cape Breton and in Prince Edward Island; and winters from South Carolina to Florida. In general habits it resembles the two preceding.

The three Sharp-tails may be distinguished chiefly by the color and markings of the breast. In the Sharp-tail these are _pale_ buff _distinctly_ streaked with blackish. In Nelson's they are _deep_ buff lightly if at all streaked. In the Acadian they are cream-buff indistinctly streaked with _grayish_. The Sharp-tail may be known from the other two by its distinct black marks below, but the other two cannot certainly be distinguished from each other in life where both may be expected to occur.

SEASIDE SPARROW

_Passerherbulus maritimus maritimus. Case 6, Fig. 46_

An olive-greenish Sparrow, with a yellow mark before the eye and on the bend of the wing; the underparts _not_ distinctly streaked. L. 6.

_Range._ Salt marshes of the Atlantic Coast; nests from Virginia to Massachusetts; winters from Virginia to Georgia.

In the Piermont marsh, referred to under the Sharp-tailed Sparrow, there are Seasides as well as Sharp-tails, but this is the only place in which I have seen Seasides away from the sea. There they are abundant in the grassy marshes. Their song is weak and unattractive. Like the Sharp-tail they nest on the ground, laying 3-4 white or bluish white eggs, clouded or finely speckled with cinnamon-brown, the latter part of May.

This northern Seaside Finch is migratory, coming the latter part of April and remaining until the latter half of October, but in the South there are several races which for the most part are resident in the same locality throughout the year. Thus we have:

Macgillivray's Seaside Sparrow (_P. m. macgillivraii_).--Atlantic Coast from North Carolina south to Matanzas Islet, Florida. Dusky Seaside Sparrow (_P. nigrescens_), an almost black species from Merritt's Island, at the head of Indian River, Florida. Cape Sable Sparrow (_P. m. mirabilis_), Cape Sable, Florida. Scott's Seaside Sparrow (_P. m. peninsulæ_), Gulf Coast of Florida from Tampa to St. Marks; Northwest Florida Sparrow (_P. m. juncicola_) Coast of Florida west of St. Marks; Alabama Seaside Sparrow (_P. m. howelli_), Coast of Alabama and Mississippi. Louisiana Seaside Sparrow (_P. m. fisheri_), Coast of Louisiana to Northeast Texas; and Sennett's Seaside Sparrow (_P. m. sennetti_), Coast of Texas from Galveston at least to Corpus Christi.

LARK SPARROW

_Chondestes grammacus grammacus. Case 7, Fig. 19_

The chestnut and white head markings and the white-tipped tail-feathers are conspicuous field-marks. L. 6-1/4.

_Range._ Mississippi Valley; nests from Louisiana to Minnesota and Ohio; winters from Mississippi southward; casual east of the Alleghanies, chiefly in the fall.

Washington, A.V., Aug., two captures. N. Ohio, rare S.R., Apl. 28. Glen Ellyn, local and uncommon S.R. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 20-Aug. 2.

Few field experiences have given me more pleasure than the discovery near my home at Englewood one November 2, many years ago, of a Lark Finch--one of the 'casuals' which had presumably been carried far from its course by a severe storm of the preceding days. The bird's strongly marked face and conspicuously white-tipped tail-feathers made an impression which testifies to their value as field-characters. In its own range this beautiful Sparrow is a sweet-voiced inhabitant of the fields, nesting on the ground or in low trees and bushes, and laying 3-5 white eggs, spotted and blotched with blackish, in May.

HARRIS'S SPARROW

_Zonotrichia querula. Case 7, Fig. 21_

A large Sparrow, larger even than the Fox Sparrow; with a pinkish bill, the crown, throat and breast more or less blackish; cheeks buff. L. 7-1/2.

_Range._ Interior of North America, nesting in North Carolina; winters from Kansas to Texas; rare east of Wisconsin. Glen Ellyn, one record, May 19. SE. Minn., common T.V., May 6; Sept. 21-Oct. 25.

When migrating this Sparrow reminds one of a White-throat. It has a sharp _clink_ note and frequents brier patches and bushy places.

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW

_Zonotrichia leucophrys. Case 7, Fig. 22_

Resembles the White-throat but throat gray, like the breast, space before the eye black, not yellow, white in the crown more conspicuous. L. 6-3/4.

_Range._ Nests in Canada; winters from Virginia and Ohio to Mexico; not a common migrant in the Atlantic States.

Washington, irregularly common W.V. and T.V., May 1-17; Oct. 7-Nov. 20. Ossining, rare T.V., May 9-26; Oct. 3-30. Cambridge, uncommon T.V., May 12-22; Oct. 1-20. N. Ohio, common T.V., Apl. 22-May 20; Sept. 5-Oct. 16. Glen Ellyn, not common T.V.; chiefly spring, Apl. 24-May 31; Oct. 2-21. SE. Minn., common T.V., Apl. 30-; Sept. 26-Oct. 14.

This distinguished-looking cousin of our White-throated Sparrow is rare enough in the Eastern States, always to command our attention when we are so fortunate as to meet him. He resembles the White-throat in habits and choice of haunts but his song has a tender, appealing quality, lacking in the White-throat's more cheerful lay, charming as that is.

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW

_Zonotrichia albicollis. Case 2. Figs. 45, 46; Case 4, Fig. 40_

The adults may be recognized at sight by their white throat, but this character is less prominent and sometimes almost wanting in young birds (Fig. 46) which will require close scrutiny. L. 6-3/4.

_Range._ Nests from northern New England and central Minnesota northward; winters from southern New England and Ohio to the Gulf.

Washington, very common W.V., abundant T.V., Mch. 18-May; Sept. 15-Dec. 16. Ossining, common T.V., Apl. 10-May 21; Sept. 20-Oct. 30; a few winter. Cambridge, very common T.V., Apl. 25-May 15; Oct. 1-Nov. 10; a few winter. N. Ohio, common T.V., Apl. 1-May 21; Sept. 10-Nov. 7. Glen Ellyn, common T.V., Apl. 9-May 26; Sept. 13-Nov. 7. SE. Minn., common T.V., Apl. 8-; Sept. 2-Nov. 13.

This clear-voiced whistler is known to many persons who have never seen it. When anyone returning from the bird's summer range tells me "I heard a bird sing like this," I know before he whistles a note that he will probably imitate the White-throat. Fortunately the song has so much character and its intervals conform so closely to those of our musical scale, that a recognizable imitation of it is within the power of everyone. There is much variation in the arrangement of the notes and migrants never seem to sing with the power of nesting birds, nor do fall songs compare in volume or execution with those of spring. The call-note is a characteristic sharp _clink_.

The White-throat is abundant, migrating and wintering in companies which frequent bushy places, hedgerows and undergrowth generally. The nest is placed on the ground or in bushes in late May or early June. The eggs. 4-5 in number, are bluish white, speckled or blotched with brown.

TREE SPARROW

_Spizella monticola monticola. Case 2, Fig. 44; Case 4, Fig. 46_

A dusky spot in the center of the breast and a reddish brown cap and streak behind the eye are distinguishing characters. L. 6-1/2.

_Range._ Nests in Canada; winters from southern Canada south to Arkansas and South Carolina.

Washington, abundant W.V., Oct.-Apl. 1. Ossining, common W.V., Oct. 10-Apl. 27. Cambridge, common W.V., abundant T.V., Oct. 25-Nov. 25; Mch. 20-Apl. 20. N. Ohio, abundant W.V., Oct. 24-May 3. Glen Ellyn, common W.V., Oct. 4-Apl. 28. SE. Minn., common T.V., Oct. 6-May 5; a few winter.

From October to April companies of Tree Sparrows harvest the season's crop of weed seeds, feeding usually near woods or hedge-rows to which they go to rest and roost. Their merry chatter is one of the season's most cheerful notes, and in the spring we may hear their canary-like song.

CHIPPING SPARROW

_Spizella passerina passerina. Case 4, Fig. 45; Case 5, Fig. 31_

In summer, the chestnut cap, black bill, and whitish line over the eye mark the 'Chippy'; but in the fall and winter the crown is like the back, the line over the eye is brownish, and the bill is brown; but the gray rump, shown well in flight, is a good character the year around. L. 5-1/2.

_Range._ Nests from Georgia and Mississippi to Canada; winters from South Carolina to the Gulf.

Washington, common S.R., abundant T.V., Mch. 9-Nov. 11, occasionally winters. Ossining, common S.R., Apl. 5-Nov. 7. Cambridge, abundant S.R., Apl. 12-Oct. 25. N. Ohio, abundant S.R., Mch. 23-Oct. 10. Glen Ellyn, not very common S.R., Apl. 5-Nov. 5. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 8-Oct. 26.

The friendly Chippy is the most familiar and domestic of any of our native Sparrows. He makes tentative visits to our piazzas and, cats permitting, will take up his residence there, building a neat, hair-lined nest in the vines or a nearby bush. Unassuming in voice as he is in manner, his _Chippy-chippy-chippy_, many times repeated, expresses contentment, even if it does not attain high musical rank. Madame Chippy has fine taste in eggs, laying, in early May, little blue gems, beautifully marked with brown or black.

CLAY-COLORED SPARROW

_Spizella pallida. Case 6, Fig. 48_

The Clay-colored Sparrow resembles a winter Chipping Sparrow, but is paler and has a white line over the eye and a brownish rump. L. 5-1/2.

_Range._ Interior states east to Illinois; winters from Texas southward. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 26-Oct. 19.

A Chipping Sparrow of the Plains which nests on the ground and in low bushes. It is not common east of the Mississippi.

FIELD SPARROW

_Spizella pusilla pusilla. Case 4, Fig. 43; Case 5, Fig. 14_

The upperparts are brighter reddish brown than in any of our other Sparrows, and the bill is 'pinker.' L. 5-1/2.

_Range._ Nests from northern Florida and central Louisiana to Minnesota and Maine; winters from New Jersey and Illinois to the Gulf States.

Washington, very common P.R. Ossining, common S.R., Apl. 2-Nov. 7. Cambridge, common S.R., Apl. 12-Nov. 1; casual in winter. N. Ohio, abundant in summer, Mch. 6-Oct. 25. Glen Ellyn, tolerably common S.R., Mch. 27-Oct. 11. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 1-Dec. 28.

'Bush Sparrow,' Mr. Roosevelt always called this bird, and the name gives a better conception of its haunts than that of Field Sparrow, since it is found in bush-grown fields. From a bush-top it sings its clearly whistled, sweet, appealing song, varying the relation of notes and trills, but never their musical quality. In a bush also it nests, laying 3-5 white eggs, marked with reddish brown, in May.

SLATE-COLORED JUNCO

_Junco hyemalis hyemalis. Case 2, Fig. 43; Case 4, Fig. 41_

The plumage of the female is tinged with brownish, but the prevailing tone is slate-gray, unlike that of any of our other Sparrows. The white outer-tail feathers are conspicuously flashed in flight. L. 6-1/4.

_Range._ Nests from northern New England and northern New York to Canada and southward in the mountains to Pennsylvania; winters in all the Eastern States. The Carolina Junco (_J. h. carolinensis_), a slightly larger race without a brownish tinge, nests in the higher parts of the Alleghanies from Maryland to northern Georgia, descending to the adjacent lowlands in winter.

Washington, abundant W.V., Sept. 26-May 12. Ossining, common W.V., Sept. 19-May 4. Cambridge, rather common W.V., abundant T.V., Sept. 20-Nov. 25; Mch. 20-Apl. 20. N. Ohio, abundant W.V., Oct. 2-May 5. Glen Ellyn, W.V., abundant spring and fall, Aug. 30-May 13, SE, Minn., common T.V., Mch. 4-; Sept. 20-Nov. 12.

Gray skies and a snow-covered earth are the Junco colors, and when he flashes them along the hedgerows and wood borders we know that although it is only late September, winter will soon be with us. From that time until April the Junco is of our commonest birds. He visits our food-shelf and roosts in our evergreens, becoming almost as domestic as the Chipping Sparrow. The Junco's call-notes are a sharp _tsip_, a contented _chew-chew-chew_, and a sharp kissing call. Its modest, musical little trill we shall not hear until spring. The nest is built on the ground, and the 4-5 white, speckled, or spotted, eggs are laid late in May.

BACHMAN'S SPARROW

_Peucæa æstivalis bachmani_

With a general resemblance to a Field Sparrow but bill black and larger, cheeks and underparts more buffy, tail shorter, no evident wing bars.

_Range._ Southeastern United States from central Georgia to Virginia and from northwestern Florida to central Illinois; winters from North Carolina to northern Florida.

Where 'scrub' oaks grow beneath the pines, or post, or white oaks form open woods, there one may look for this rather retiring, sweet-voiced Sparrow. If one can imagine a Hermit Thrush singing the Field Sparrow's chant, he will have some conception of the rare quality of Bachman's Sparrow's song. The nest is built on the ground, the white unmarked eggs being laid early in May.

The Pine Woods Sparrow (_P. æ. æstivalis_), is a darker race, more streaked above with black. It is resident in Florida (except the northwestern part) and southern Georgia where it frequents pine forests undergrown with scrub palmetto.

SONG SPARROW

_Melospiza melodia melodia. Case 2, Fig. 34; Case 4, Fig. 42_

Streaked below, with a conspicuous spot in the center of the breast.

_Range._ Most of North America, the eastern form west to the Rockies, nesting from Virginia and Missouri to Canada and wintering from Illinois and Massachusetts to the Gulf.

Washington, common P.R., abundant T.V., Mch. and Oct. Ossining, common P.R. Cambridge, very abundant S.R., Mch. 10-Nov. 1; locally common W.V. N. Ohio, P.R., abundant in summer, common in winter; Glen Ellyn, common S.R. Feb. 12-Nov. 2. SE. Minn., common S.R., Mch. 16-Nov. 11.

If the so-called 'English' Sparrow is the European Sparrow, the Song Sparrow is the American Sparrow. He is found in every State and from the Valley of Mexico to Alaska. He is abundant, musical, and familiar and probably better known than any other member of his family native to this country. His is one of the first birds' songs to be heard in the spring, and the last in the fall, and when in midsummer, the adults, while molting, are silent, the rambling, formless song of the young may be heard.

Usually the Song Sparrow is found near water and not far from bushes into which he flies when alarmed. Then we hear his characteristic call-note, an impatient _chimp_, _chimp_, unlike that of any other of our Sparrows. The nest is built on the ground and the 4-5 bluish white brown-marked eggs are laid late in April.

LINCOLN'S SPARROW

_Melospiza lincolni lincolni. Case 7, Fig. 15_

A broad band of buff across the streaked breast.

_Range._ Chiefly western United States; in the East, nests from northern New York and northern Minnesota into Canada; winters from Mississippi to Central America; rare east of the Alleghanies.