CAPE SABLE SPARROW 



Ammospiza marititna mirabilis Howell 



KINGDOM Animalia 



CLASS Aves 



ORDER Passeriformes 



FAMILY Fringillidae 



OTHER COMMON 



NAMES Cape Sable se2iside sparrow 



DATE 



Entered into SWIS to be determined. 



Updates 17 August 1978, 10 October 1978. 



LEGAL STATUS 



Federal: Endangered (32 FR 4001, 11 March 

 1967) 



States: Endangered: Florida 



REASONS FOR CURRENT STATUS 



The Cape Sable sparrow inhabits only un- 



Credit: Harold Werner 



stable interior marshes within a limited area of 

 southern Florida. There are only three known dis- 

 junct populations, two of them nearly extir- 

 pated. Progressive invasion of marshlands by 

 fast-growing exotic trees (Casuarina, Melaleuca, 

 Schinus) poses a major threat to the remaining 

 habitat, which is also under pressure from hurri- 

 canes, housing development, and inland encroach- 

 ment of mangroves. Frequent man-induced wild- 

 fires and predation by feral cats and dogs may 

 have caused the declines of some previously 

 extensive colonies (U.S. Department of the 

 Interior 1973; Werner 1975,1976, 1979; Mac- 

 Kenzie 1977). 



PRIORITY INDEX 



Not assigned. 



DESCRIPTION 



The Cape Sable sparrow is about 13 cm long, 

 and colored olive-gray with olive-brown tail and 

 wings. It is marked with a yellow spot before the 



