SPARROWS

Bachman’s Sparrow

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Peucaea aestivalis

The Bachman's 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 4.8 – 6.4 inches and weighing 18.4  –  23 grams.

CALL: Males and females give a thin high-pitched “tsew”.

SONG: Males start their song with a long, clear or slightly buzzy note followed by a trill. Males sing throughout the day, typically from a perch above the ground. When males are agitated they also sing a bubbling song of slurs, whistles, and trills.

Feeds heavily on insects and spiders in the summer months. Seeds, especially grass seeds, are also consumed, and likely make up a large part of the diet in the winter months.

Found in pine forests with an open understory.

Coastal Plain and Piedmont of the southeastern United States from northeastern North Carolina south to south-central Florida and west to eastern Texas and eastern Oklahoma.

The female builds a cup-shaped nest made of grasses and weeds, usually placed on the ground at the base of a shrub or similarly protected area.
The female usually lays 3 or 4 white eggs, with the female alone incubating them for 12 - 14 days.
Once the eggs hatch, both parents help to feed the nestlings, who usually leave the nest after about 10 days.

 

SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org
https://www.allaboutbirds.org
https://www.sdakotabirds.com