Melospiza melodia

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Family Fringillidae

A Family of seed-eating, small to moderately large passerine birds that have strong , stubby beaks, which in some species can be quite large. They have a bouncing flight, alternating flapping with gliding on closed wings. Most sing well.

Physical Description

Habitat

The habitats of the Song Sparrow include those used for breeding plus overgrown fields , marshes, brushy fields, and thickets in both residential and agricultural areas.

Ecology:
List of Habitats :3.6Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Moist 5.4Wetlands (inland) - Bogs , Marshes, Swamps , Fens , Peatlands

Biology

Diet

Diet consists of insects, seeds, and sometimes fruit. The food is found by searching the ground and nearby vegetation.

Mostly: Seeds

Lesser Quantities of: Insects

Reproduction

The breeding season begins in early April, peaks later that month, and extends into mid-August. Breeding habitat includes open grassy areas with scattered shrubs and trees , shrubby residential areas, hedgerows, and pond edges . Early in the season most nests are on or near the ground ; later nests are built higher up, usually in small trees or shrubs.The nest is cup-shaped and constructed from grass , bark strips, and other plant material . The female lays 2-6 (usually 3-4) eggs that she incubates for 12-14 days. The young are altricial and fledge 9-12 days after hatching . The young are dependent on the adults for 1-2 weeks after leaving the nest. If the female nests again after the first group fledges, the male will take care of the first group of young alone.

• Breeding Habitat: Successional-scrub
• Nest Location: Ground-low nesting
• Nest Type: Open-cup
• Clutch Size: 3-5
• Length of Incubation : 12-14 days
• Days to Fledge: 9-12(-16)
• Number of Broods: 2-3, occasionally 4

Migration

Northern birds migrate

The song of this sparrow is very musical, usually ending in a trill.

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Melospiza melodia (Wilson, 1810)

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001.

Similar Species

Savannah Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow

Members of the genus Melospiza

There are approximately 59 species in this genus:

M. fasciata · M. georgiana (Swamp Sparrow) · M. georgiana ericrypta (Swamp Sparrow) · M. georgiana georgiana (Swamp Sparrow) · M. georgiana nigrescens (Coastal Plain Swamp Sparrow) · M. lincolni · M. lincolnii (Lincoln's Sparrow) · M. lincolnii alticola (Lincoln's Sparrow) · M. lincolnii gracilis · M. lincolnii lincolnii · M. lincolnii x · M. melodia (Song Sparrow) · M. melodia adusta · M. melodia amaka (Amak Island Song Sparrow) · M. melodia atlantica · M. melodia caurina · M. melodia clementae · M. melodia cleonensis · M. melodia cooperi · M. melodia cooperii · M. melodia coronatorum · M. melodia euphonia · M. melodia fallax · M. melodia fisherella · M. melodia goldmani · M. melodia gouldi · M. melodia gouldii · M. melodia graminea (Santa Barbara Song Sparrow) · M. melodia heermani · M. melodia heermanni · M. melodia inexpectata · M. melodia inexspectata · M. melodia insignis (Bischoff's Song Sparrow) · M. melodia juddi · M. melodia kenaiensis · M. melodia mailliardi · M. melodia maxillaris (Suisun Song Sparrow) · M. melodia maxima (Giant Song Sparrow) · M. melodia melodia · M. melodia merrilli · M. melodia mexicana · M. melodia micronyx · M. melodia montana · M. melodia morphna · M. melodia or · M. melodia pisillula · M. melodia pusillula (Alameda Song Sparrow) · M. melodia rivularis · M. melodia rufina (Sooty Song Sparrow) · M. melodia saltonia · M. melodia saltonis · M. melodia samuelis (San Pablo Song Sparrow) · M. melodia sanaka (Aleutian Song Sparrow) · M. melodia santaecrucis · M. melodia ssp · M. melodia villai · M. melodia x · M. melodia yuriria · M. rufina

Bibliography

• Bird Reference Citations. The numbers inserted in the text accounts above (usually in bold) refer to references. For further details on these references, click on the BirdLife International link above to go to the specific species account on the BirdLife web site. In some cases, particularly in the taxonomic notes, the references are cited using the author names. Details for these can be found on the BirdLife International web site at the following two places: For References from A–L. For References from M–Z.
• BirdLife International. 2000. Threatened Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, U.K.
• BirdLife International. 2004 Threatened Birds of the World 2004. CD-ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Notes

Contributors

• BirdLife International 2004. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 18, 2008.
• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 14, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 13 providers.
• Hines, J. E., Gregory Gough, J. R. Sauer, et al. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
• NatureServe. 2003. Downloadable animal data sets. NatureServe Central Databases. Accessed February 6, 2005.
• Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2005. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2004. Version 2005.2. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
• Sauer, J. R., S. Schwartz, and B. Hoover. 1996. The Christmas Bird Count Home Page. Version 95.1. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
• The Georgia Museum of Natural History and Georgia Department of Natural Resources
• Universal Biological Indexer and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 17, 2008.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 14, 2008:

• Avian Knowledge Network: eBird
• Avian Knowledge Network: Great Backyard Bird Count
• Avian Knowledge Network: Project FeederWatch
• Bird Studies Canada: Marsh Monitoring Program - Birds
• Bird Studies Canada: Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 1981-1985
• Bird Studies Canada: Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 2001-2005
• Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: North West Territories and Nunavut Bird Checklist, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Birds (Aves)
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Royal British Columbia Museum
• Canadian Museum of Nature: Canadian Museum of Nature Bird Collection
• Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates: Bird Collection
• EMAN Provider: PIROP (Shipboard Surveys)
• Museum of Vertebrate Zoology: Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
• New Brunswick Museum: NBM birds
• Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: Santa Barbara Musem of Natural History
• The New York Botanical Garden: Bronx River Bioblitz
• UNIBIO, IBUNAM: CNAV/Coleccion Nacional de Aves
• University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ): Bird specimens

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3850243
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-179523
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13852655
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 179492
• IUCN ID: 53546
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ABPBXA3010
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 902

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