738 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 part 2 



The sustained song is more elaborate and more musical than the 

 grasshopper song and is subject to considerable individual variation. 

 It ranges up to 5 seconds in length. The sustained song in its entirety 

 consists of a grasshopper introduction followed by a sustained series of 

 melodious notes. The song may be written as tip-tup-a-zee-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e 

 zeedle zee-e-e-e zeedle zeedle zee-e-e-e-e-e-e. The grasshopper introduction 

 often is omitted, especially after territories are well established. 



Jouy (1881) mistakenly attributed this song to Henslow's sparrow 

 (Passerherbulus henslowii). He writes: "Besides their characteristic 

 note of te-wick, they have quite a song which may be fairly represented 

 by the syllables sis-r-r-rit-srit-srit, with the accent on the first and 

 last parts. The song is often uttered while the bird takes a short 

 flight upward; it then drops down again into the tangled weeds and 

 grasses where it is almost impossible to follow it." 



This is an adequate description of the sustained song of the grass- 

 hopper sparrow which is often given in flight. Dming 5 years of 

 concurrent observations of both species in the same fields, I never 

 heard a Henslow's sparrow sing a song that even remotely resembled 

 the sustained song of the grasshopper sparrow. 



The primary function of the sustained song is to attract and hold a 

 mate. The grasshopper introduction, however, is hostile in character 

 and serves as a warning early in the season. Later, when the grass- 

 hopper introduction is dropped, the males respond to the sustained 

 song with a grasshopper song. Then both bkds launch into a duel of 

 grasshopper songs. 



The least common vocalization of the male grasshopper sparrow is 

 the trill. Unless one is frequently in the field among these birds, 

 the observer is apt to miss it entirely. Walkinshaw (1940) calls it 

 a nesting song, and Saunders (1951, MS.) describes it graphically. 

 It can be written ti-iu-ti-tu-ti-i-i-i-i. The song consists of a series 

 of moderately loud, short, alternate notes, given rapidly and ending 

 in a downward trUl. It is delivered on the ground or from a perch. 

 The trUl generally is not given until the pair is formed, and is then 

 uttered only in the vicinity of the nest. It may follow one of the other 

 two songs, or it may be given alone, often in answer to the female. 

 This song apparently serves as a bond to hold the pair together, 

 and as a signal to the female and young that the male is approaching 

 the nest. 



The female grasshopper sparrow has a song quite similar to the 

 trill of the male, but softer, lacking the downward trill, and more 

 suggestive of the song of the chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina). 

 It may be written ti-ti-i-i-i-i-i-i-i. Its primary function is apparently 

 to declare her presence on the territory to the male. She also gives 

 the trill when she is approaching or is near the nest. When so used 



