Today's featured feathered friend is the Bachman's Sparrow. Although a year round resident, determining their presence in the winter is difficult because of it's seclusion and inactivity. However, in the spring they are very active. Breeding season usually starts in March lasting through mid-summer. That's when breeding males can be seen singing from low and exposed perches.
It is a large sparrow with reddish-brown and gray streaked upperparts, with buffy underparts contrasting with a whitish belly. It's face is gray with a brown crown and a thin dark line extending back from it's eye. The tail is long, dark and round-tipped. It's legs and feet are pink. Males and females are similar in appearance. Juveniles are like adults but with black streaking on the breast and crown.
The Bachman's Sparrow is endemic to the southeastern United States, meaning, they can't be found anywhere else on earth. Their range includes Virginia to Missouri in the north, parts of eastern Texas to the west, as well as all of the Atlantic and Gulf coast states. Birds in the northern parts of this range migrate south for the winter. Their conservation status is Near Threatened, with habitat loss as the biggest factor cited for it's declining population.
We had read of sightings as early as February this year at the Babcock-Webb WMA, south of Punta Gorda. On May 10th, we made the short trip and scored our 203rd Florida bird. Enjoy these photos (and a video) of the elusive Bachman's Sparrow.....tweet.....tweet!!
Click here for the video----> http://youtu.be/obmocEMeiRM
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| Bachman's Sparrow (Very first photo of our 203rd Florida bird) |
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| Bachman's Sparrow singing a beautiful song. |
http://myfwc.com/viewing/recreation/wmas/lead/fred-babcockwebb/wildlife/
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