Field Sparrow (FISP)
Spizella pusilla
Range
The Field Sparrow breeds in most of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas, as well as in most of the Northeast of the U.S. Birds that migrate will spend their winters in the southern border of Texas, Louisiana, and neighboring states.
A large population of Field Sparrows is nonmigrating, so they can be found year-round in all of the eastern states and the southern part of Kansas.
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Identification
The Field Sparrow is a small, warm-colored brown bird, with a chubby round body and a stout pale pink bill. Females and males look physically identical: a pale gray belly, coppery streaks on the head and tail, and a pale white eyering. The throat of Field Sparrows is a pale gray compared to their chest and belly, and their coppery wings are accented with white outlines and dark brown streaks.
Juvenile Field Sparrows look similar to adults, but have less orange-copper feathers and exhibit dark streaking on their chest. The copper streaks on the head of a mature individual are also absent in young birds.
When Field Sparrow males court females, they sing aggressively, and even fly at the female and knock her to the ground. This is meant to showcase the male’s strength and territorial nature, despite seeming like a very poor idea in finding a partner. Songs are a vital part of the courting process, and males will sing nonstop until they have found their mate. The Field Sparrow’s song is a series of accelerating sharp notes that end in a trill. Their song is very loud compared to other sparrows, and they tend to sing a much more complicated and layered song early in the mornings. The Field Sparrow’s normal flight call is a quiet, low-pitched chirp or slight trill.
Habitat
The Field Sparrow lives in open habitats like shrubby grasslands, open fields and pastures, forest edges and openings, meadows, and occasionally orchards or marshes. They like fields with some amount of brush or shrubbery, but avoid thick, dense forests. They benefit from grasslands with native plants, but are not as susceptible to invasive plant species as other birds, due to their flexible nature with living conditions. Due to urbanization of their natural historic habitats, Field Sparrows are more commonly now seen in agricultural pastures, abandoned fields, and fencerows on sides of roads.
Conservation Status
- Listed as Decreasing by American Bird Conservancy
- Listed as Least Concern by BirdLife International
- Listed as Decreasing by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- Listed as Secure by Nature Serve Explorer
Threats to Conservation
Although more flexible with habitat than some birds, Field Sparrows are not tolerant of human activity, and will not live near developments or active agricultural fields. Field sparrows are especially susceptible to climate change, and have an annual decrease in offspring survival due to intense heat waves in the spring. Since the birds require some amount of shrubbery in their habitat, urbanization of fields and grasslands will drive them away to more covered areas.
Some ways to prevent habitat loss for Field Sparrows include preserving woody vegetation, planting new saplings and shrubbery in over-grazed pastures, and following mowing schedules that leave at least 50% of the pasture or agricultural field suitable for nesting.
Funding Opportunities
- America the Beautiful Challenge
- Community Forest Program
- Conservation Nation Grant Program
- Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
- Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative Small Grant Program
- Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program
- Natural Areas Research Grant
- Natural Legacy Program
- Nature Works
- Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) Grant
- Partners for Fish and Wildlife
- The Migratory Bird Program
- Tribal Wildlife Grants
- Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
- Wildlife Habitat Grant Program
- Wisconsin Forest Landowner Grant Program