Illustration © David Allen Sibley.
Learn more about these drawings.
Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from
Lives of North American Birds
Photo: G. Lasley/Vireo
Calamospiza melanocorys
Conservation status | Was extremely common at one time; has lost ground with conversion of prairies to farmland. Still common, but surveys suggest declines in recent decades. Numbers vary widely from year to year in many areas, making it difficult to monitor populations. |
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Family | New World Sparrows |
Habitat | Plains, prairies. Breeds mostly on native shortgrass prairie; also on sagebrush plains with understory of grass and weeds. During migration and winter, found in many kinds of open country, including prairies, agricultural fields, desert grassland, weedy vacant lots. |
Forages mostly while running and walking on the ground, picking up items from soil or from plant stems. After flushing insects from ground, will pursue them in short flights. During migration and winter, almost always feeds in flocks, sometimes loosely associated with other seed-eating birds.
4-5, sometimes 3-7. Pale blue to greenish blue, usually unmarked, sometimes dotted with reddish brown. Incubation is mostly by female (male may help at times), 11-12 days. Young: Both parents feed the nestlings. Young probably leave the nest about 9 days after hatching. 1 brood per year, sometimes 2.
Both parents feed the nestlings. Young probably leave the nest about 9 days after hatching. 1 brood per year, sometimes 2.
Mostly insects and seeds. Summer diet is predominantly insects, especially grasshoppers, also beetles, true bugs, bees, ants, and many others. Also eats many seeds, especially in winter, mainly those of weeds and grasses, also some waste grain.
Arrives on breeding grounds in flocks, then flocks break up and males set up territories. In courtship, male performs a flight song display: flies up to 20-30' above ground, then floats or flutters back to ground on outstretched wings, while singing. One male may have more than one mate. Nest site is on ground in grassy area, usually sheltered or protected by overhanging grass or weeds. Often sunken in small depression in soil, so that rim of nest is level with ground or only slightly above it. Nest is an open cup made of grass, weeds, rootlets, lined with fine grass, plant down, animal hair.
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