Lee Crush
April Fowler
Misuke Kim
Ecology Term Project
Dr. Tietjen
10 December 1999
Purpose and Introduction
The purpose of this project is to observe the location and distribution of sparrows, along
with some aspects of their behavior at locations on the Bellarmine College campus. After
searching the campus, two species of sparrow, the Song Sparrow and the White-throated
Sparrow, were identified and further observed.
Since prehistoric times people have enjoyed watching and listening to songbirds, such as sparrows. The almost infinite variety of colors, patterns, behavioral traits, songs, and calls found in these birds appeals to people's aesthetic tastes. As objects of beauty and interest, sparrows have been incorporated into human culture, folklore, poetry, music, sculpture, and painting. However, the greatest importance of sparrows is ecological. As the dominant form of bird life in virtually all terrestrial environments, the perching birds are a major component of the world's ecosystems. They consume great quantities and varieties of food including grains, fruits, insects and other invertebrates and in turn serve as food for other animals. In addition to this, they act as hosts for parasites and are occasionally parasitic themselves as well as aiding in both the propagation and distribution of plants by pollinating flowers and carrying viable seeds to new locations. They have the mobility, through migration, to utilize habitats that are available only at certain times of the year. A few aspects of the ecological impact of sparrows are known, but, until the science of ecology has advanced, the true magnitude of their importance cannot be evaluated with precision.
Introduction to Song Sparrows
The Song Sparrow, one of the most common sparrows, has adapted well to living around
people. It is heavily streaked on its ventral side, with a generally dark central breast
patch. The species is common throughout the state, although breeding in southern portions
of Kentucky is a somewhat recent phenomenon coupled with a range of expansion southward.
It inhabits weedy and brushy areas, woodland borders, swamps, suburban areas, and parks.
Nests are placed on the ground in grasses, sedges, or cattails, or in low bushes not far
off the ground. Construction of these open, cup-shaped nests is of leaves, bark, and
stems, with a lining of fine grasses, rootlets, or mammalian hair. Clutches of three to
six (usually four) eggs are completed from early April to mid-August with the species
being multiple-brooded in Kentucky. Incubation takes 12-14 days, with young in the nest
another two weeks before leaving.
Below are two pictures of the Song Sparrow
Below is an example of a Song Sparrow nest
Below is a graphical as well as an audio representation of the song of the Song Sparrow
Click for Sonogram
Below is a map dipicting the distribution of the Song Sparrow throughout the United States
Introduction to White-throated Sparrows
The White-Throated Sparrows are the most common sparrows among Kentucky's winter visitors.
It is one of the larger sparrows and is distinguished by its prominent black-and-white
head stripes and white throat patch. It breeds mostly in Canada and the northern United
States, and banding records have shown that individual White-throated Sparrows return to
the same feeder winter after winter. The species sings frequently in winter and especially
during migration periods. The song, a plaintive whistled refrain, is distinctive and
pleasing. The White-throated Sparrow is a common transient and winter resident statewide
in a variety of forested and semi-open habitats with heavy brush or weeds. It is most
abundant between late October and early May, although there have been sightings as late as
August.
Below are two pictures of the White-throated Sparrow
Below is an example of an open cup-shaped White-throated Sparrow nest
Below is a graphical as well as an audio representation of the song of the White-throated Sparrow
Click for Sonogram
Below is a map dipicting the distribution of the White-throated Sparrow throughout the United States
Methods of Observation
In order to obtain the data for this project, we surveyed the campus of Bellarmine College
to determine the primary sites of sparrow activity. The map below illustrates the five
sites examined.
At each of these sites the procedure of observation is as follows: the date and time that the observation took place was recorded along with the noted number of sparrows, as well as their behavior at each location.
Results
Observations
After completing the observations, the following behaviors were noticed.
Conclusions
The two varieties of sparrows observed are fairly prevalent around Bellarmine's campus and display similar types of behavior, such as, both seem to be more active in the morning and early afternoon hours and less active in the late afternoon to evening hours. It was interesting that there was no noted competition between the two species in terms of food and habitat; there seemed to be ample resources to support both the Song Sparrow and the White-throated Sparrow in this particular area.