1230 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 paet 2 



hundred and forty-nine records I now have, is 2.7 seconds. The 

 longest song of all is 4.6 seconds, and the shortest 1.6 seconds. * * * 

 One specific time character, that holds in practically all songs, is 

 acceleration. The introductory notes are the longest and the terminal 

 notes the shortest of the song, the latter often so rapidly repeated 

 that they cannot be counted and must be recorded as a trill." He 

 notes that the pitch of a single song never varies greatly. The range 

 is exactly one octave, from T)"" to T)'" ; most songs range between 

 C"" and F"'. The song varies little in intensity, and its quality of a 

 clear, sweet whistle makes it very attractive. 



A. R. Brand (1938) reports the approximate mean vibration of a 

 field sparrow song at 4,100 per second, with the highest note 5,100 

 and the lowest 3,650. 



In addition to the song, the field sparrows have a number of other 

 notes. When they are 4 or 5 days old, nestlings utter a low "Zweep" 

 or "Zeeep" when the parent approaches with food. As the female 

 feeds the young she gives a low "Zeee, Zeee." While searching for 

 food for the young the male and female call to each other with a 

 low "zee-zee-zee-zee" or a "chup-zup-zup-zup-zup." After the 

 young leave the nest they give a sharp "chip" when they are hungry. 

 The adults use a similar sharp "chip" for an alarm note, often re- 

 peated in a rapid chipping. When a hawk appears over the breeding 

 area, all the field sparrows give a penetrating "zeeeeeeee" and disap- 

 pear into the cover. A male trying to entice a neighboring female 

 was heard to give two calls, a "chip-chip-zip-zip-zip-zip," or just a 

 plain "zip-zip-zip-zip-zip." 



Behavior. — J. S. Y. Hoyt (1948) reports a pair of field sparrows 

 nesting within 18 inches of the nest of a pair of red-eyed towhees 

 in a small white pine. Both species fed the young in both nests at 

 time; if the young in one nest did not offer to take food from the 

 parent, the old bird went over and fed the young in the other nest. 



An outstanding characteristic of the field sparrow is its gentleness. 

 It is seldom aggressive toward other species or its own kind. It feeds 

 amicably through the fall and winter in mixed flocks of its own and 

 other species. Its cheerfid yet plaintive song, usually given 5 to 25 

 feet up in a tree on its territory, adds much to its personality. 



Field marks. — The field sparrow is most apt to be confused with 

 its congeners, the chipping and clay-colored sparrows, with which 

 it is often found in fall and winter. Its most striking field mark 

 is its pink bill. Its chestnut cap is not so bright as that of the chip- 

 ping sparrow, and lacks the center stripe of the clay-color's cap. 

 Peterson (1947) also stresses: "Except for the pink bill, it resembles 

 the Tree Sparrow and the Chippy. It has less noticeable facial 

 striping; this and the eye-ring gives the bird a blank expression. 



