CLAY-COLORED SPARROW

The 'Clay-colored Sparrow', ''Spizella pallida'', is a small sparrow.
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 immatures resemble Chipping Sparrows and Brewer's Sparrows; they often form flocks with these birds outside of the nesting season.
Their breeding habitat is shrubby open areas and Jack Pine woods across central Canada and central northern United States east to the Great Lakes. The nest is an open cup on the ground or low in a shrub.
These birds migrate in flocks to southern Texas and Mexico.
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 two to four insect-like buzzes on a single pitch. The call is a high ''tsip''.
This bird's nests are often parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird; the nest may be abandoned when this happens.

Contents

References

External links

Furthre reading

Book

Thesis

Articles

References

★ Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

External links

★ Clay-colored Sparrow Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding

★ Clay-colored Sparrow - ''Spizella pallida'' - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter

Furthre reading

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. p. 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. p. 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. p. 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. p. 39-56.

★ Davis SK. (2003). ''Nesting ecology of mixed-grass prairie songbirds in southern Saskatchewan''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '115', no 2. p. 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. p. 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. p. 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. p. 781-788.

★ Ganier AF, Goodpasture KA, Laskey AR & Bierly M. (1969). ''Clay-Colored Sparrow in Hardin County''. Migrant. vol '40', no 4. p. 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. p. 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. p. 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. p. 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. p. 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. p. 1063-1070.

★ Hoag DJ. (1999). ''Hybridization between Clay-colored sparrow and Field sparrow in northern Vermont''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '111', no 4. p. 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. p. 211-213.

★ Johnson DH & Igl LD. (2001). ''Area requirements of grassland birds: A regional perspective''. Auk. vol '118', no 1. p. 24-34.

★ Knapton RW. (1978). ''Breeding Ecology of the Clay-Colored Sparrow Spizella-Pallida''. Living Bird. vol '17', p. 137-158.

★ Knapton RW. (1978). ''Sex and Age Determination in the Clay-Colored Sparrow''. Bird Banding. vol '49', no 2. p. 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. p. 1358-1370.

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

★ Knapton RW. (1982). ''GEOGRAPHIC SIMILARITY AND YEAR-TO-YEAR RETENTION OF SONG IN THE CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (SPIZELLA-PALLIDA)''. Behaviour. vol '79', p. 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. p. 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. p. 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. p. 71-87.

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

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

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

★ Schulte LS & Niemi GJ. (1998). ''Bird communities of early-successional burned and logged forest''. Journal of Wildlife Management. vol '62', no 4. p. 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. p. 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. p. 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. p. 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. p. 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. p. 211-223.