EASTERN FIELD SPARROW 1217 



Winter range.— Winters from southern California (San Fernando 

 Valley, Pro\adence Mountains), southern Nevada (Nelson), western 

 and central Arizona (Hualpai Mountains, Safford), southern New 

 Mexico, and western and central Texas (El Paso, Guadalupe Moun- 

 tains, Boerne) south to southern Baja Cahfornia (San Jose del Cabo), 

 Jalisco (Juanacatlan), Guanajuato (Irapuato), and southern Texas 

 (Bro^\Tis\'ille) ; casually north to northern Cahfornia (Glenn County). 

 In migration through western Kansas and western Oklahoma. 



Casual records. — Casual (this race?) in Louisiana (Cameron). 



Accidental in Massachusetts (Watertown). 



Egg dates. — Cahfornia: 84 records, April 19 to July 16; 9 records, 

 May 13 to June 3; 34 records, June 7 to June 17. Colorado: 5 rec- 

 ords, May 24 to July 21. Montana: 3 records. May 29 to June 16. 

 Nevada: 6 records, May 28 to June 22. New Mexico: May 20 to 

 July 10 (number of records not stated). Oregon: 36 records, May 18 

 to July 22; 19 records, May 24 to June 16. Texas: 6 records, May 

 21 to Jime 12. Utah: 20 records. May 6 to July 18; 10 records, May 

 29 to June 7. Wyoming: 13 records, June 1 to June 25. 



SPIZELLA PUSILLA PUSILLA (Wilson) 



Eastern Field Sparrow 



PLATE 66 



Contributed by Lawrence H. Walkinshaw 



Habits 



Though it is a fairly common bird in old fields and brushy fence- 

 rows in much of temperate North America, the field sparrow is not 

 so well known as some of its relatives. It rarely nests near houses 

 as do the chipping and song sparrows, it is not brightly colored, and 

 its voice is neither loud nor striking. Yet its plaintive spring song 

 does attract some attention, and interested persons eventually become 

 aware of the singer. Many people know it as a likeable, friendly 

 httle bird hving in and along the edges of their open, unplowed fields, 

 and its gentleness is often commented on. 



T. D. Burleigh (1958) wTites of the species in Georgia: "As its name 

 imphes, it is a bird of fields and pastures overgrown with briar thickets 

 and deciduous underbrush. Open pine woods are avoided unless 

 changed into open slashings by logging operations, but when this 

 happens, the Field Sparrow soon takes advantage of the new, favor- 

 able environment. It is noticeably more retiring than the Chipping 

 Sparrow, and rarely if ever %viU be seen far from the brushy fields 

 that it prefers. Here it can be found in small flocks during the %\dnter, 

 and here it nests during the summer." 



