Bachman's Sparrow
Peucaea aestivalis
Rare and declining sparrow found in longleaf pine woodlands with grassy or brushy undergrowth. Usually quite secretive. Look for unstreaked grayish-tan underparts, rufous and gray pattern on back and wings, and rufous cap and eyeline. Similar to Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrow but no range or habitat overlap. Population west of Mississippi River brighter buffy below. Usually found singly. Easiest to detect when singing; listen for two-parted song, a thin whistle followed by a musical junco-like trill. Subsequent phrases usually differ in pitch.
Identification
Bachman's sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis), also known as the pinewoods sparrow or oakwoods sparrow, is a small American sparrow that is endemic to the southeastern United States. This species was named in honor of Reverend John Bachman. Adults have rufous brown upperparts and crown with gray and black streaking on the nape, back and primaries. The face is gray with a rufous brown eyestripe. It has a buff colored breast and whitish belly. These are mid-sized New World sparrows, measuring 12.2–16.2 cm (4.8–6.4 in) and weighing 18.4–23 g (0.65–0.81 oz). Their breeding habitat is open pine forests. The domed nest is usually built on the ground near a clump of grass or a bush. Females lay three to five eggs. Bachman's sparrow is primarily a non-migratory resident, but it may retreat from some of the most northerly territories. The species is mainly a granivore, but it will also take some insects. This bird is considered near threatened by the IUCN, with habitat loss one of the major factors often cited in its decline. Habitat degradation due to later stages of forest succession has also been attributed to the decline of this species. Prescribed forest burns may assist in recovery. The primary song begins as a clear whistle, followed by a short trill.
Taxonomy
Genus: Peucaea; Family: Passerellidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Peucaea aestivalis
- Authority
- (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Genus
- Peucaea
Range and habitat
Bachman's sparrows occur primarily in the southeastern United States from the central region of peninsular Florida north to southeastern North Carolina and west through portions of Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri to eastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas. Following forest conversion and the spread of agricultural fields up into the early 1900s, Bachman's sparrows rapidly expanded their range and began breeding in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and parts of Pennsylvania. However, this trend reversed during the 1930s as much of the eastern deciduous forest recovered. Bachman's sparrows are thought to have been extirpated from Virginia in the early 2000s, and North Carolina is now the northern periphery of their eastern range.<p>Among the three subspecies of Bachman's sparrow, Peucaea aestivalis aestivalis breeds furthest east, from southeast South Carolina to peninsular Florida. Peucaea a. bachmanii occurs west of P. a. aestivalis to Mississippi and north to Kentucky. P. a. illinoensis occurs in the westernmost region of the species' range.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Buff-shouldered Widowbird
Euplectes psammacromius
Breeding males are mostly black with a long tail. There is a large yellow-and-buff patch on the shoulder. Females and non-breeding males are streaky and brown, though males retain their colorful shoulder. Found locally in montane marsh, heath, and grassland. Vocalizations include low rasps and twittering and sizzling calls. Male separated from Marsh Widowbird by its more extensive buff shoulder patch. Female can be confused with several other species, but is usually identified by association with buff-shouldered males.
Chestnut-winged Starling
Onychognathus fulgidus
The default red-winged black starling of lowland forests in its range, with a distinctive glossy black body and a noticeably long tail. Females are similar to males but have grayer, less glossy heads. Often seen in the canopy, especially in or near fruiting trees, where it sometimes forages with other starlings. Gives a mixture of grating notes and chucks along with whistled, two-parted flight calls.
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Spinetail with a largely dark body contrasting with a rich rusty crown, wings, and tail. Note the streaked whitish throat. In its tiny range, found in the understory at the edge of remnant humid forest fragments and in adjacent second-growth vegetation. The call is a repetition of “teh-teh-teh” notes.
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