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Observations of Parental Behaviors of Field SparrowsCait Kerr1, Dr. Jennie Carr2, Dan Small3Department of Environmental1 Studies, Department of Biology2, Center for Environment and Society3 Washington College, Chestertown MD

Song bird of eastern North AmericaBreeds in second growth scrubNot yet considered threatened, but the species is in decline across its range

Field Sparrows Spizella pusilla

What effect, if any, does the age and sex of field sparrow parents have on feeding rate and prey size?How do combined ages of both parents affect reproductive effort and success?Our Primary Questions

Older, more experienced birds will bring larger prey items and visit the nest more frequentlyWe will know the exact age of the birds, rather than just hatch year versus second year or olderFemales will visit more frequently than males

Hypotheses

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Studies on house sparrow nestlings and prey size in relation to survival rateNo prior research has determined if age/experience has an effect on feedingIncrease knowledge and improve management policiesRelevance of this Study

Found in the grasslands of the Chester River Field Research Station at Chino FarmsSearch grasslands using binoculars and spotting scopeMost interested in finding non-singing males and femalesLook for feeding patterns (ex. a bird flying between the forest edge and a specific grassy patch)Methods:Locating Nests

Nets are set up near known nests or territoriesSong is played to draw males inFemales usually only caught when coming or going from nestMethods:Targeted Mist Netting

Birds caught in the mist nets are given federal bands and color bandsColor pattern is specific to that bird for identification purposesLeft leg band tells the birds genderFederal bands are numbered, the numbers can be used to look up the birds ageMethods:Banding

Methods:Banding Young BirdsNestlings are banded 2-3 days before fledgingBirds are also measured and weighedThis information is recorded for future studies and for tracking the birdsFeather sticking out of shaft also measured in young birds to tell age

Set up cameras near nest sites for at least 2 hour time framesRecords all visits the parents make to the nestLater, we used the band colors to determine whether the male or female parent is visiting more frequently and what prey sizes are being deliveredThe federal band number is used to find the age of both parentsMethods:Video Analysis

Video Analysis Examples

YRYX

WYTX

Preliminary Results: Ages of Mates

Positive correlation between age of female and age of male suggests that older, presumably more experienced, males and females tended to be mated pairs. 12

Preliminary Results: Age of Nestlings in Relation to Number of Feedings

Positive correlation between age of nestlings and total number of feedings by both parents. This suggests that feeding rate increases with nestling age, which has been supported by prior studies.13

Preliminary Results: Feeding Rate in Relation to Number of Nestlings

Positive correlation between number of nestlings and total number of feedings by both parents. This suggests that feeding rate increases with number of nestlings, which has been supported by prior studies. However, we also found that there was no correlation between age of parents of either or both sexes and number of successful fledglings produced by a nest.

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Birds do not like the cameras Nests are difficult to find Can not predict which side the parents will enter a nest fromColor bands are often difficult to make outPredation and Brood Parasitism Challenges

Barba E, Atinzar F, Marn M, Monrs JS, Gil-Delgado JA. Patterns of nestling provisioning by a single-prey loader bird, Great Tit. Bird Study. 2009;56(2):187-197.

Best LB. Territory quality and mating success in the Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla). The Condor. 1977;79(2):192.

Carey, Michael D., Dirk E. Burhans, and D. A. Nelson. Field sparrow: Spizella pusilla. Washington, D.C.: American Ornithologists' Union ;, 1994.

Carey M. Effects of brood size and nestling age on parental care of male Field Sparrows (Spizella pusilla). The Auk. 1990;107:580-586.

Evans EW. Nesting responses of Field Sparrows (Spizella pusilla) to plant succession on a Michigan old field. The Condor. 1978;80:34-40.

References

Evans EW. The nesting response of Field and Chipping Sparrows (Spizella pusilla and Spizella passerina) to plant succession in an old field in southeastern Michigan. Master Thesis. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University; 1976.

Goodbred CO, Holmes RT. Factors effecting food provisioning of nestling Black-Throated Blue Warblers. The Wilson Bulletin. 1996:467-479.

Grasslands Restoration [Internet]. Chestertown (MD): Chester River Field Research Station; c2014 [updated 2014 Jun 3]. Available from: http://www.washcoll.edu/centers/ces/crfrs/grassland-restoration.php

Poole AF, Stettenheim PR, Gill FB, Carey M, Burhans DE, Nelson DA. Field Sparrow Spizella Pusilla. In: The Birds of North America life histories for the 21st century. Washington, D.C.: American Ornithologists' Union; 1994. p. 1-19.

Schwagmeyer Pl, Mock DW. Parental provisioning and offspring fitness: size matters. Animal Behaviour. 2008;75(1):291-298. Vickery, Peter D.. Grasshopper sparrow: Ammodramus savannarum. Washington, DC: American Ornithologists' Union ;, 1996.References (cont.)