EASTERN SAVAJSnSfAH SPARROW 693 



in a sheltered spot of Digitaria in the lee of a Tall Weeds' edge of Plot 1 1, and from 

 the mowed Digitaria-Sorghum Plot. Thereafter until the middle of Februarj^, 

 except for 2 birds in Plot 11 on February 6, none of these plots contained any 

 savannah sparrows. During the clear and warmer weather of the second half 

 of February there was only about 25 per cent recovery. 



He further states that "The savannah sparrows which disappeared 

 could have either died or moved farther south. Careful search 

 was made for dead birds, both in the regular and other habitats, 

 but none were found. The writer believes that the savannahs made 

 a wholesale, mid-winter, southward 'weather movement'." 



It has been amply demonstrated that birds return year after year 

 to the same breeding area, but it is not so well known that many 

 birds return to the same wintering area. This winter "homing" 

 tendency has been particularly well demonstrated for sparrows, 

 and the Savannah sparrow has been no exception. Wharton (1941) 

 reports that of 453 Savannahs banded in South Carolina, 33 or 7.28 

 percent returned in successive winters. 



Based on a comparison of the actual returns compared with a 

 figure that they believe represented the total population, Odum and 

 Hight (1957) estimated a return ratio of 38 percent in 1956 and 41 

 percent in 1957. From this they estimate that 40 out of 100 birds 

 wintering in the area return the next year. 



Distribution 



Range. — Southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and Nova Scotia 

 south to Veracruz, the Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba, and the Bahamas. 



Breeding range. — The eastern savannah sparrow breeds from south- 

 em Ontario (Bigwood), southern Quebec (Montreal, Kamouraska, 

 Magdalen Islands) and Nova Scotia (Cape Breton Island) south to 

 northwestern and central Ohio (Toledo, rarely Columbus), West 

 Virginia (Maxwelton), western Maryland (Accident, Buckeystown), 

 southeastern Pennsylvania (Carlisle, Reading), northern New Jersey 

 (Morristown, Newark), and southeastern New York (Hicks Island, 

 Plum Island); once in southern New Jersey (Seven Mile Beach). 



Winter range. — Whiters from Massachusetts (casually) south on 

 the Atlantic coast to Florida and the northern Bahamas, and from 

 Kansas (rarely), Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and eastern 

 Virgmia south to Veracruz (Tlacotalpam, Tehuatlan), Yucatan (Rio 

 Lagartos), Quintana Roo (Holbox and Cozumel islands). Grand 

 Cayman, Isle of Pines, and Cuba; rarel}^ north to Nova Scotia 

 (Wolfville). 



Migration. — The data apply to the species as a whole. Early 

 dates of spring arrival are: Florida — Leon County, February 1. 

 District of Columbia — average of 37 years, ^Ivlarch 26. Maryland — 



