Baird's Sparrow

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iBaird's Sparrow

Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Emberizidae
Genus: Ammodramus
Species: A. bairdii
Binomial name
Ammodramus bairdii
(Audubon, 1844)

The Baird's Sparrow, Ammodramus bairdii, is a small sparrow.

These birds have a large bill, a large flat head and a short forked tail. They have brown upperparts and white underparts, with streaking on the back, breast, and flanks. The face, nape, and crown stripe are yellowish.

Their breeding habitat is tall grass prairie regions in southern central Canada and the northern mid-western United States. The nest is an open cup in a well-hidden grassy location on the ground.

These birds migrate to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

They forage on the ground, mainly eating insects in summer and seeds in winter.

These birds usually nest in small loose colonies. Males sing from perches within their nesting territory. The song consists of a short series of high notes followed by a trill. This bird is more often seen than heard.

This bird's numbers have decreased with the loss of suitable habitat.

This bird was named after Spencer Fullerton Baird, an American naturalist.

[edit] References

  • BirdLife International (2004). Ammodramus bairdii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 05 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern