Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 4.7–5.9 in
12–15 cm - Wingspan
- 7.9 in
20 cm - Weight
- 0.4–0.5 oz
11–15 g
Other Names
- Bruant des champs (French)
- Chimbito Llanero (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Field Sparrow often feeds directly on fallen seeds. It may fly to the top of grass stalks, let its weight carry the stems to the ground, and then begin removing the seed.
- If a male Field Sparrow survives the winter, it usually returns to breed in the same territory each year. The female is less likely to return to the same territory, and young sparrows only rarely return the next year to where they were born.
- The male Field Sparrow starts singing as soon as he gets back in the spring. He sings vigorously until he finds a mate, but after that he sings only occasionally.
Habitat
Scrub
- Breeds in old fields, woodland openings, and edges.
- Winters in fields and forest edges.
Food
Insects
Insects and small seeds.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 2–5 eggs
- Egg Description
- Creamy white with dark spots.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with sparse tufts of down.
Nest Description
Open cup of large grass pieces interwoven with finer grasses. Lined with fine grasses, rootlets, and hair. Placed on or near ground in grass clumps or at base of shrubs.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Feeds on ground or in low-lying vegetation.
Conservation
Least Concern
Declining throughout range.
Credits
- Carey, M. D. E. Burhans, and D. A. Nelson. 1994. Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla). In The Birds of North America, No. 103 (A. Poole, and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.