EASTERN SAVANNAH SPARROW 683 



as follows: "Dorsal surface: generally medium brown; feathers 

 with dark centers and light brown edgings. Sides of head: relatively 

 light-colored, often with buffy suffusion; loral region usuall}'- yellow 

 or yellowish. Ventral streaks: somewhat reduced (as compared with 

 dark races), medium to dark brown. Greater secondary coverts: 

 medium brown." 



At the end of the nesting season, generally August, the adults 

 acquire their winter plumage by a complete postnuptial molt. With 

 the completion of the post-juvenal and the postnuptial molts, young 

 and adult become virtually indistinguishable in the field. But in the 

 hand, it can be seen that, in the eastern races at least, the buify 

 suffusion about the head of the immature clearly contrasts with the 

 grayer head of the adult. 



Both the first and later nuptial plumages are acquired by a partial 

 prenuptial molt in March and April. This "involves the head, 

 throat, breast, often the anterior part of the back, the tertiaries and 

 stray feathers elsewhere even on the thighs, the abdomen, the lumbar 

 tracts and the tail coverts, but not the remiges nor rectrices." (Dwight, 

 1900.) 



Tavern er (1932) and others have commented upon what they 

 regard as extraordinary variation in plumage wear in the Savannah 

 sparrow. WhUe there can be no doubt that some breeding adults 

 can acquire a "very frowsy, worn plumage," it is doubtful that such 

 wear is excessive and peculiar to the species. It is probable that the 

 worn plumage is simply more noticeable in the Savannah sparrow 

 than in some other species because of the feather patterns. 



Food. — Judd (1901) examined the stomach contents of 119 Savannah 

 sparrows collected "in 12 states ranging from Massachusetts to 

 Cahfomia and in the District of Columbia, Nova Scotia, and New- 

 foundland." They represented all the months of the year except 

 December and February. Overall, their food contents consisted of 

 46 percent animal matter, and 54 percent vegetable matter, mostly 

 seeds. The Savannah is more highly insectivorous than other spar- 

 rows and the food items eaten were as follows: Coleoptera, 15 percent; 

 Lepidoptera, 9 percent; Orthoptera, 8 percent; Hymenoptera, 5 percent; 

 Hemiptera, 2 percent; other insects, 4 percent; spiders and snails, 3 

 percent. 



Judd elaborates further to add that the Savannah sparrow — 



appears to be the greatest eater of beetles of all the sparrow family. Beetles 

 constitute the most important element of its animal food, and are eaten during 

 every month in which stomachs were obtained, thouj^h of course in very small 

 quantities during the winter months. In May and June * * * they form one- 

 third of the entire food of those months. * * * it takes grasshoppers in quantity 

 from June to August, and in July eats them to such an extent that they constitute 

 34 percent of its food * * * 



