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Bird name:

Baird's Sparrow

Ammodramus bairdiiOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)
Codes: Common Name: BAIS Scientific Name: AMMBAI ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179339
Least Concern
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Baird's Sparrow
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Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Jelly Jar Jelly Feeder
The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
Attract Orioles with Fruit
Sliced orange secures easily to the center of the ring. Low cost.
Attract with Nectar
Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
Charm and Attraction
Lovely copper umbrella keeps fruit cool and looks great.

Overview

Baird's Sparrow: Small sparrow with pale-streaked, rich dark brown upperparts, white underparts, and dark streaks on upper breast and flanks. Orange-brown crown is marked with fine dark lines. Legs and feet are pink-brown. Short low flights, alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.


Range and Habitat

Baird's Sparrow: Breeds from Saskatchewan and Manitoba south to Montana and Minnesota. Spends winters in Texas, Arizona, and northern Mexico. Commonly found in dry upland prairies.

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Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"zip-zip-zip-zr-r-rrrrrrrrrrr"

Interesting Facts

 John James Audubon collected the first specimens of Baird's Sparrow in 1843 in North Dakota. The species was not recorded again for 29 years.

 They like open areas with a mix of native prairie grass blended with forbs. They are usually more abundant two to three years after a fire. As shrubs grow back, their numbers decline again.

 These birds are partially nomadic, with breeding populations shifting dramatically among locations from year to year. This tendency probably evolved in response to the effects of drought, fire, and movements of bison herds over the prairie.

 A group of sparrows has many collective nouns, including a "crew", "flutter", "meinie", "quarrel", and "ubiquity" of sparrows.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Juan Costa

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Range Map for Baird's Sparrow

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Family Buntings, Finches, Sparrows (Emberizidae)_blue
Species Ammodramus bairdii
Length5.5 Inches
Wingspan8.5 Inches

Baird's Sparrow

Baird's Sparrow: Small sparrow with pale-streaked, rich dark brown upperparts, white underparts, and dark streaks on upper breast and flanks. Orange-brown crown is marked with fine dark lines. Legs and feet are pink-brown. Short low flights, alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

● Song: "zip-zip-zip-zr-r-rrrrrrrrrrr"

● Foraging & Feeding: Baird's Sparrow: Diet consists of seeds, insects, and spiders; forages on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Baird's Sparrow: Three to six white to gray eggs, marked with lavender and red brown, are laid in a cup of weed stems and grass, and concealed in grass or weeds on the ground. Incubation ranges from 11 to 12 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Baird's Sparrow: Vesper and Song sparrows have rounder heads, longer tails, and lack yellow on face. Savannah Sparrow has smaller head and bill, more extensive streaks below and yellow on face confined to behind eyes.

Flight Pattern

Short flights.
Baird's Sparrow Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Baird's Sparrow: Breeds from Saskatchewan and Manitoba south to Montana and Minnesota. Spends winters in Texas, Arizona, and northern Mexico. Commonly found in dry upland prairies.
BreedingMonogamous, Loose colonies
PopulationUncommon and local
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.8 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
CrownX
The crown is the top part of the birds head.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX