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The field sparrow is an often overlooked bird which is an invaluable part of eastern U.S. wildlife. It is has great ecological, environmental, and aesthetic importance. It inhabits early-stage plant growth where food and cover are abundant.
The sparrow nests from early May through August raising up to 3 broods per year with a clutch size averaging 4 to 5. Nests are built on or near the ground in grass and dense shrubs or tree saplings. Due to the ease of the nest being reached by predators, some pairs of field sparrows have been known to rebuild up to 7 nests before successfully rearing a brood.
There are many valuable techniques that can be implemented to manage more successfully this overlooked sparrow.
FOOD
1. Seed producing plants and grasses are preferred during the winter months when insects are scarce. One adult sparrow will consume approximately 2lbs of seeds/winter (mid Sept.-March). Management goals for optimum food production should include planting the following:
amaranth (redroot), barnyard grass, blackberry, bristlegrass (Faber's yellow), canarygrass (common, reed), crabgrass (hairy), dandelion, dropseed, switchgrass, millet (Japanese, browntop), sudangrass, panicum (Dominicum, hiddenseed)
2. Feeding stations and bird feeders can provide alternate food sources if they are placed on the ground. Some choice foods of field sparrows include:
corn (cracked, ground), cornbread, bread (white), oats, peanuts (fragmented), peanut butter, pecan bits, rice, suet
3. Animal food types are a necessity during the breeding and nesting season (May - August) due to high energy and protein requirements. Management options for this food type are limited. Insect populations may be optimized by prescribed burns early in the year in addition to making moderate applications of herbicide for promoting growth of warm season grasses and suppressing fescue growth. Fescue is not recommended because it is fibrous and forms extremely dense sod thatches.
COVER
4. Sufficient herbaceous and ground cover is necessary for rearing broods and escaping from predators. Field sparrows prefer areas which are close to shrubs and small dense trees to which they can retreat when disturbed by predators. Although nests are initially constructed on the ground in the early part of the breeding season due to the lack of foliage, small trees up to 10 feet tall are preferred in the later part of the nesting period. Some excellent cover for nesting and hiding include:
honeysuckle, raspberry (dead and living), multiflora, blackberry (dead and living), broom sedge, hawthorn, cedar saplings, small pines, dogwood, ash saplings
5. Once sufficient cover is established, certain measures should be taken to prevent habitat degradation and field sparrow mortality. Livestock should be kept out of established fields, especially during the nesting season, to prevent damage to nests located on or near the ground. Mowing or tightly controlled grazing should only be done every 2 to 3 years outside of nesting season to prevent growth of undesired plant species. Low-intensity prescribed burns or intensive grazing can also be used prior to the growing season to stimulate new growth and eliminate undesirable plants. Insecticides should be totally avoided since this use may eliminate many of the food sources required during the nesting season.
PREDATOR CONTROL
6. Predator control is limited due to the proximity of nest sites to the ground early in the nesting season. As the nesting season progresses, nest sites are preferred higher off the ground in small trees and shrubs where predator baffles may be attached. Some of the most feared predators to exclude are:
Of all of the mentioned predators, snakes and domestic cats should be given the most attention. It is said that several shovels of sharp sand (masonry or concrete) placed around the base of the tree or shrub where nests are located may deter snakes. This remains to br tested. Since cats increase as a problem once fledglings have left the nest, it is wide to keep cats indoors until fledglings are self-sufficient. Metal sleeves lubricated with marine or automobile grease can be wrapped around the base of trees to deter climbing predators. One application of grease in the spring on the metal will last the season.
COST
7. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries may make available limited quantities of seed or provide advice to landowners for establishing wildlife plantings. A carefully selected blend of annual plants is packaged for application of 3 pounds to plant 1/8 of an acre. The following formula may be used for those who need larger quantities:
Seed (with percent by weight)
Contributions by Brian Fedigan and Danny Harrington (1993)
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321
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Last revision January 17, 2000.