Passerculus sandwichensis – Savannah Sparrow

Family, Passerellidae:
The Passerellidae family, American or New World sparrows, are a large family of brown or gray, seed-eating passerine birds. The head patterns of many species are distinctive. Their conical, finch-like bills visibly set them apart from the Passeridae, Old World sparrows. New World sparrows are similar in appearance and habit to finches, family Fringillidae, classified by some authorities as Emberizidae, Old World buntings. In the past, this led to Passerellidae sometimes being classified as such. In 2017, the American Ornithological Society split Passerellidae from Emberizidae.

Genus, Passerculus:
Savannah Sparrow was once considered to be the only member of genus, Passerculus; however, recent studies by Birdlife International have established that 5 more species of New World sparrows belong to this category: Baird’s, Belding’s, Henslow’s, Large-billed, and San Benito.

Description/Features:
Savannah is a medium-sized sparrow, between 11-17 cm long, with a wingspan from 18-25 cm. Females may be slightly smaller than males and this is the only distinction between the sexes. The body appears plump for the head, often appearing as having a small peak due to flared crown feathers. This slight crest has a whitish stripe running through it. Identification of this species from other similar sparrows is the yellowish front eyebrow. The lores, the region between eye & bill may also be tinged yellow. Apart from the “Large-billed” variety, this species is considered to have a small bill for a sparrow.

Moving along from the head, streaks on the body are neat and crisp, and wings come to a point. Savannah’s belly is white, with undertail coverts clearly defined. Beyond this is a short, notched tail. Compared with Song Sparrow, Savannah has a shorter, less round tail and pinker legs.

There are a number of subtle variations, geographically based, once thought of as separate species. Mainly, the grayish typical variety migrates to and from Southern Ontario.

Range:
As a species, P. sandwichensis is common and widespread throughout the Americas. Breeding occurs in the northern half of the United States and all of Canada except the most northerly islands.
Note: “Special concern” variety, Ipswich Sparrow, nests almost exclusively on Sable Island, situated near the edge of the Continental Shelf in the Atlantic Ocean, 290 km off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Habitat:
This sparrow loves grassy habitats. In Southern Ontario, they may be found in old fields, open meadows, pastures, marsh edges, and in particular, alfalfa fields. In summer, further north they favour tundras. Other habitats include salt marshes, prairies, dunes, shores and weedy vacant lots.

Foraging:
Their favoured food, especially in winter are seeds, mainly of grasses and weeds. In summer they add insects to their diet. Except during nesting season, Savannah’s forage in small, loose flocks. They have a number of foraging habits. In summer, you may see them making short flights to catch insects on the wing. Seed foraging involves walking or running on the ground, with occasional scratches in soil & leaf-litter. They also forage in shrubs and low trees.

Behaviour:
Not a highly secretive bird, Savannah will perch on weeds or fence wires. It is not uncommon to find them roosting in small compact groups, either in short grass or on the ground. If disturbed, they will fly up into bushes to perch.

Migration/Mating:
These songbirds prefer migrating in small flocks at night. They have a very strong tendency to return each year to the area where they hatched. This is referred to as “natal philopatry”. This tendency makes them a highly suitable candidate for research projects that involve tracking study systems.