Bird name:

Cassin's Sparrow

Aimophila cassinii

Order

PASSERIFORMES

Family

Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Code 4

CASP

Code 6

AIMCAS

ITIS

179393

Breeding Location:

Grassland with scattered trees, Scrub vegetation areas

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Fairly common

Egg Color:

White

Number of Eggs:

3 - 5

Incubation Days:

12 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Forbs, grass, flowers, with lining of soft grass, rootlets, and hair.

Migration:

Migratory

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General

Cassin's Sparrow: Medium-sized, skulking grassland sparrow with fine brown streaks on gray-brown head and back, and buff underparts. Tail is long, rounded, and white-tipped. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has streaked underparts.

Range and Habitat

Cassin's Sparrow: Breeds from southern Arizona and southwestern Kansas south to southern New Mexico and western and southern Texas; also in Mexico. Spends winters in southern part of breeding range. Preferred habitats include semi-desert or arid uplands supporting yuccas and tall grass.

Breeding and Nesting

Cassin's Sparrow: Three to five white eggs are laid in a deep, almost tunnel-like cup built on the ground or at the base of a bush or cactus. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Cassin's Sparrow: Diet consists of beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, and seeds; forages on the ground.

Readily Eats

Safflower, Apple Slices, Suet, Millet, Peanut Kernels, Fruit

Vocalization

Cassin's Sparrow: Four loud, melodious, clear whistles are uttered from tops of tall grass stalks and in flight; second note is prolonged and quivering while third note is lowest.

Similar Species

Cassin's Sparrow: Botteri's Sparrow has a different song, a somewhat larger bill, and a flatter head. Bachman's Sparrow has a different range and song.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

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.

Field Guide to Birds of North America