ILLINOIS BIRDS : Volume 4 SPARROWS, WEAVER FINCHES and LONGSPURS male Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder female Photo © John Cassady Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Mary Kay Rubey Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder American tree sparrow chipping sparrow field sparrow vesper sparrow eastern towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus Spizella arborea Spizella passerina Spizella pusilla Pooecetes gramineus Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder lark sparrow savannah sparrow grasshopper sparrow Henslow’s sparrow fox sparrow song sparrow Chondestes grammacus Passerculus sandwichensis Ammodramus savannarum Ammodramus henslowii Passerella iliaca Melospiza melodia Photo © Brian Tang Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Lincoln’s sparrow swamp sparrow white-throated sparrow white-crowned sparrow dark-eyed junco Le Conte’s sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Melospiza georgiana Zonotrichia albicollis Zonotrichia leucophrys Junco hyemalis Ammodramus leconteii Photo © Brian Tang winter Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder summer Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Mark Bowman winter Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder summer Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Nelson’s sparrow Smith’s longspur Ammodramus nelsoni Lapland longspur Calcarius lapponicus Calcarius pictus snow bunting Plectrophenax nivalis male Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder female Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Passer domesticus Eurasian tree sparrow house sparrow Passer montanus his fourth poster in the Illinois Birds series from the Illinois Department SPECIES LIST Tof Natural Resources and the Illinois Audubon Society highlights three families of birds that are generally small in size and not exceptionally colorful. Kingdom Animalia savannah sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis This poster was made possible by: Many of them are secretive by nature and often overlooked. Sparrows, Phylum Chordata grasshopper sparrow Ammodramus savannarum longspurs and weaver finches are found throughout Illinois, though, in a Class Aves Henslow’s sparrow Ammodramus henslowii variety of habitats. Three of the six species of longspurs and snow buntings Order Passeriformes Le Conte’s sparrow Ammodramus leconteii Nelson’s sparrow Ammodramus nelsoni Illinois Department of in the world migrate through Illinois and reside here in the winter. Sparrows, Family Calcariidae Natural Resources Lapland longspur Calcarius lapponicus fox sparrow Passerella iliaca Division of Education juncos and towhees comprise a large and diverse family of birds that are Smith’s longspur Calcarius pictus song sparrow Melospiza melodia represented in Illinois in all seasons and habitats. Only some of the species snow bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Lincoln’s sparrow Melospiza lincolnii from this family are shown on the poster. Weaver finches of Illinois are the Family Emberizidae swamp sparrow Melospiza georgiana house sparrow and Eurasian tree sparrow. These two species are not native eastern towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus white-throated sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis to North America and compete with native birds for nesting sites and food. American tree sparrow Spizella arborea white-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys dark-eyed junco Junco hyemalis The 23 species depicted on this poster were selected by Dr. Jeff Walk of The chipping sparrow Spizella passerina field sparrow Spizella pusilla Family Passeridae Nature Conservancy. More information about these birds and other related Funding for this poster was made possible vesper sparrow Pooecetes gramineus house sparrow Passer domesticus in part by a donation from the Illinois topics can be found on the back of the poster. lark sparrow Chondestes grammacus Eurasian tree sparrow Passer montanus Audubon Society. ILLINOIS BIRDS : Volume 4 SPARROWS, WEAVER FINCHES and LONGSPURS DESCRIPTIONS chipping sparrow Illinois Range: Henslow's sparrow is an uncommon migrant Illinois Habitat: The swamp sparrow is found in marshes, displaced from the city by the arrival of the house sparrow. Length measurement refers to bill tip to tail tip in preserved Spizella passerina and summer resident in Illinois and rare winter resident in pond edges, ditches and other shrubby areas around water. They adapted to other habitats and now can be found in specimens and varies somewhat from that of live birds. Size: 5.25” southern Illinois. It feeds on seeds, small fruits and invertebrates. Illinois, Missouri and Iowa. In Illinois, the Eurasian tree spar - Identifying Features: The chipping sparrow has a gray Migration: Spring migrants begin arriving in Illinois in row lives in the west central portion of the state. Both species March. Fall migration starts in September. The species win - have similar nesting requirements. They nest in cavities or Family Calcariidae – LONGSPURS breast, rust-red cap, black line through each eye and a white-throated sparrow white line between the cap and black line. The winter col - ters in the southern United States along the Gulf of Mexico. Zonotrichia albicollis partially enclosed spaces, including natural and human-made This family includes the longspurs and snow buntings. oration is similar in pattern but not as brightly colored. Illinois Habitat: Overgrown fields (prairie remnants, pas - Size: 6.5-7.0” objects. They are aggressive and often take over nesting There are only six species of these birds in the world. Illinois Range: This species is a common migrant and sum - tures, unmown hay fields, grasslands) with tall, dense Identifying Features: The gray breast and white-throat spaces used by native birds. When these species are in com - While outwardly similar to the members of the Family mer resident in the state and uncommon winter resident. grasses and a thick layer of ground litter are the preferred patch are distinctive features. There is a small yellow spot petition for nesting spaces with each other, the house spar - Emberizidae in which they were previously classified, Migration: Spring migrants begin arriving in March. Fall habitats for Henslow's sparrow. It feeds on seeds and small on each side of the head between the eye and bill. Two row generally wins. It may be one reason that the Eurasian invertebrates. these birds were recently found to have DNA structures migration begins in August. The species winters from the forms of the species exist: one has black and white stripes tree sparrow's population in the United States has not on the head; the other has brown and tan head stripes. spread widely. The huge number of house sparrows in the distinctively different from sparrows and were placed southern United States to South America. Illinois Habitat: The chipping sparrow is found in a variety Le Conte’s sparrow Illinois Range: The white-throated sparrow is a common state reduces available food for native species, too. in their own family taxonomically. of habitats including mown grass, shrubs, open spaces with Ammodramus leconteii migrant and winter resident statewide. It rarely nests in trees, forest edges, conifers, thickets, orchards, parks, open Size: 5.0” northeastern Illinois. Many native sparrows in Illinois are targets for nest parasitism Lapland longspur woods and river and lake shores. It feeds on insects, seeds Identifying Features: A white stripe on the top of the head Migration: Spring migrants begin arriving in March. Fall by the brown-headed cowbird ( Molothrus ater ). Affected Calcarius lapponicus and small fruits. is distinctive. Prominent dark stripes are present on the back. migration starts in September. The species winters as far species include the eastern towhee, chipping sparrow, field Size: 6.25” Dark streaks are seen in the buff coloration on the sides of the south as the Gulf of Mexico. sparrow, vesper sparrow and song sparrow. Brood parasites Identifying Features: The breeding male has a black face field sparrow chest. The sides of the head are orange, with that coloration Illinois Habitat: Thickets, brush and the undergrowth of are birds that lay their eggs in the nests of other birds (host highlighted with a white zig-zag mark and rust-red on the Spizella pusilla extending to the throat as a lighter buff color. woodlands are the preferred habitats. This bird eats seeds, species). The parasite's eggs hatch and are raised by the back of the head. The breeding female's coloration resem - Size: 5.0” Illinois Range: Le Conte's sparrow is a migrant statewide insects and small fruits. host species. The brown-headed cowbird is the most bles the nonbreeding male (few black streaks on sides, Identifying Features: The rust-red cap and pink bill are and an uncommon winter resident of southern Illinois. It common nest parasite in North America. Many of the host patch of rust-red on back of head). All coloration phases in - good field marks. A white eye ring is present. The breast of does not nest in Illinois. white-crowned sparrow species that co-evolved with brood parasites have reduced clude red-brown wing coverts and a triangular white patch the adult is clear, while on the immature bird it is streaked. Migration: Spring migration commences through the Zonotrichia leucophrys the success of parasites through strategies such as building on each side of the tail base. The immature bird also lacks as much red head coloration state in March. Fall migrants begin passing through the Size: 6.0-8.0” a new nest or pushing the parasite eggs out of the nest. Illinois Range: This species is a common winter resident as the adult. state in mid-September. The species winters as far south Identifying Features: The adult has a black-and-white However, if a host species has not co-evolved with a parasitic and migrant statewide. Illinois Range: This bird is a common migrant and summer as the Gulf Coast. striped crown. The throat and upper back are gray, while species, the host may not be able to cope with parasitism.