Species
Bachman's sparrow
Peucaea aestivalis
A secretive sparrow of burned longleaf pine woods whose sweet, ringing song carries across open pine savanna.
Photo novvictan (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 13 to 16 cm long
- Weight
- About 18 to 22 g
- Habitat
- Open longleaf and other pine woods with a grassy understorey kept open by fire
- Diet
- Insects and seeds
- In Georgia
- An uncommon resident, mostly in the south
- Voice
- A clear whistle followed by a trill
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Plain buff breast; grey face with rusty stripes; long, rounded tail
- Told apart from
- Field sparrow, which has a pink bill and white eye-ring
- Where to look
- Grassy pine woods a year or two after a prescribed burn; singing from low branches in spring
Behaviour
Bachman's sparrows spend most of their time on the ground in dense grass and are difficult to see except when singing.
Why they matter
Bachman's sparrow depends on pine woods burned every few years, which keep the ground layer open and grassy. As fire was suppressed and longleaf pine forests lost, it declined sharply. Where prescribed fire is used, it returns — a clear sign of a healthy pine savanna.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Nest — A domed cup on the ground in grass
Eggs — Usually three to five
Incubation — About 12 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by the female
Flight — At about nine days
Lifespan — A few years
Living around people
- Prescribed fire in pine woods keeps their habitat open.
Misconceptions
- Fire is always bad for wildlife. Bachman's sparrow needs regular fire.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Quiet in dense grass | Present | Singing begins | Nesting | Nesting | Second broods | Singing | Present | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet |
Where it lives
Recorded in 11 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
If you found one
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