northeast-flora-and-fauna

Here's a Chipping Sparrow , a bird I see the most around May (this picture was from early May of 2023) but will encounter sometimes in the summer. My guess is that this is because we're on the southern part of their summer range, and in the early spring I'm seeing at least some individuals who are passing through New Jersey on their way further north. In the summer I'm probably only seeing the Chipping Sparrows that have chosen to breed here. Though not our most distinctive sparrow (that's probably the showy Eastern Towhee ), these crisp-looking little birds with the rufus caps generally stand out from the "little brown birds". Their closest relatives that are commonly found in New Jersey are the Field Sparrows . Chipping and Field Sparrows aren't extremely common here, but it's also not hard to run across a few of them. Chipping Sparrows frequently sing a chi-chi-chi-chi song which led to their name. May 3, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 278557367, (c)...

Here on the edge of a field there is (SURPRISE!) a Field Sparrow . (I've talked about these birds before .) This picture was taken in the middle of summer when most Field Sparrows (and other birds) are starting/raising families. These sparrows normally build nests on or within 10 feet of the ground. Although males may help furnish building materials, the females do all the nest design/carpentry.  As their name suggests, these birds are all about the fields, and generally avoid areas with substantial human activity. This means that they're not too crazy about places like New Jersey where much of the land is suburban or urban. My understanding is that they're doing better on the plains in the middle of the country. Though they may not be crazy about humans, they're not entirely antisocial. This time of the year they will join flocks of other sparrows; apparently Song Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows (both probably more numerous around here) are among their favorite ...

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 ...