SAVANNAH SPARROW Passerculus Sandwichensis Non-Breeding Visitor, Vagrant P.S

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SAVANNAH SPARROW Passerculus Sandwichensis Non-Breeding Visitor, Vagrant P.S SAVANNAH SPARROW Passerculus sandwichensis non-breeding visitor, vagrant P.s. sandwichensis Group Savannah Sparrows breed throughout N America and winter S to the Caribbean and n. C America. Vagrants have reached Europe, ne. Asia, and Japan (Cramp and Perrins 1994b, AOU 1998). One was observed on Kure, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, 29 Nov-6 Dec 1977 (Rauzon 1978) and another was observed for two hours and photographed on Tern I, French Frigate 3 Oct 1980 (HRBP 1099). An "unidentified American sparrow" reported from Midway 20 Sep 1995 may also have been a Savannah Sparrow. Up to 22 subspecies of Savannah Sparrow have been named (Pyle 1997b, Clement et al. 2016), The individuals on Kure and French Frigate cannot be placed to subspecies, although the description and photograph indicate the widespread and expected P.s. sandwichensis group that breeds throughout most of N America and is the most migratory (AOU 1998). Within this group, the nominate subspecies (sandwichensis) and anthinus, each breeding in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands and migrating to California and w. Mexico, would be the most likely to occur in the Hawaiian Islands; the description and photograph can be considered consistent with these two subspecies but do not eliminate other subspecies within the group. Dole (1869, 1879) and Sclater (1871) listed Savannah Sparrow ("Emberiza sandwicensis") and Golden-crowned Sparrow for Hawaii but this was in error, apparently based on Dole's confusing the Sandwich Islands and Latham's "Sandwich Sound" (Prince William Sound) in Alaska (Rothschild 1900, Medway 1981). Acronyms and Abbreviations Literature cited Citation: Pyle, R.L., and P. Pyle. 2017. The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status. B.P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, U.S.A. Version 2 (1 January 2017) http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/ .
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