Field Sparrow

Unsurprisingly I met this Field Sparrow in a field, or at least a grassy area mowed through a field. A pinkish bill (which doesn't show up great in the picture), white eye-ring, and uniform breast plumage help us identify these sparrows from most its sparrow relatives. (Do not identify every sparrow you see in a field as a Field Sparrow.)

Unlike some birds, Field Sparrows are committed to their fields, and don't adapt to urban or suburban life. When fields disappear, their habitat shrinks. This is believed to be the primary reason their populations are declining.

Field Sparrows are unfortunate victims of Brown-headed Cowbirds. The cowbirds are obligate brood parasites, meaning that over time they've lost the ability to raise their own young. Instead, they sneak their eggs into the nests of other birds (including but not limited to the Field Sparrow). The cowbird egg gets cared for by the other bird parents, generally hatches first and either pushes the other eggs out of the nest or kills the other hatchlings, and gets all the attention/food of its "foster parents". 

May 2, 2021 at Negri-Nepote Native Grassland Preserve
Photo 128321936, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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