BIRDS OF NANTUCKET
SAVANNAH SPARROW
by Kenneth Turner Blackshaw
Here is a frustrating bird for any beginning birder. Walking around Nantucket's grasslands you are subtly aware of it, a tiny brown bird singing from a grass stalk. The song is not memorable - hardly a song at all. As you try to approach, it drops down from its perch and disappears. This is the Savannah Sparrow - a tough bird to get to know. But there are some tricks and you'll find them in this article.

Savannah Sparrow

Every time I research a bird for a column I find something new. For instance, I knew the Latin name for this bird, Passerculus sandwichensis, and always thought the species name referred to Sandwich, Mass., since this is a great spot to find them. Now I find it ties back to Sandwich Bay in the Aleutian Islands. This is where the specimen came from that the German naturalist, Johann Friedrich Gmelin, used when he named the bird and decided this was a species new to science. Since this occurred in the late 1700s, it was probably a Russian explorer who shot this bit of brown fluff and sent it back to Doctor Gmelin in Germany. Sandwich, Mass. (and also Nantucket) are 3,000 miles from where this specimen originated.

Okay, so what about the common name, Savannah Sparrow? I always assumed that it was because it was the habitat the bird favored. Wrong again, Kenny. This bird was named by Alexander Wilson because the specimen he was working with came from Savannah, Ga. This huge distance between the sources (Alaska and Georgia) of these two birds illustrates how widespread this species is. Savannah Sparrows live in just about any grassland habitat, although it's interesting that the Georgia coast is one place where they do not nest. No, the Savannah is just a wintertime bird in Georgia.

Well, enough about names. Just what is a Savannah Sparrow? It's another one of those LBJs (Little Brown Jobs). But of course it is special in its own way. It is smaller than most sparrows and rather slim appearing. It is brownstriped on the back and black-streaked on the front. You would most likely confuse it with a Song Sparrow. That's the sparrow most often seen in the wilds of Nantucket. If you see an LBJ in your binoculars, check to see if it has a pale yellow stripe over the eye and a short forked tail. If so, it is a Savannah. Song Sparrows have longer, rounded tails.

But as I said in the beginning of this article, actually getting a good look at a Savannah Sparrow requires some persistence. The best way is to listen for its song. Don't expect to be bowled over by it. Arthur Cleveland Bent's comment is that it "can only be described as utilitarian." It is a buzzy, insect-like sound, never very loud. But if you are out at the Head of the Plains near Clark's Cove, or perhaps at Eel Point, from now through late July you will often hear this sound, "tiptiptip seeeee saaaay." Then it is

your job to track down the singer.

With luck it may be atop a low bush blueberry. If you scan in the direction of the song you may get lucky. Try walking 30 feet to your right or left and check the direction again. This can allow you to verify how far away the singer is. If you try and approach it, the bird will usually drop to the ground and run like the wind through the grass. Looking where you last saw the bird is generally fruitless. You must wait for it to sing again and hope you can spot it.

Savannah Sparrows are found year-round on our island but our wintertime birds are part of a different cast of characters. They nest up in the Maritime provinces of Canada. An interesting variant is the Ipswich race of the Savannah Sparrow. All of them nest on Sable Island, 100 miles off Nova Scotia. When I started birding in the '50s this was considered a separate species and may be again some day. These large, pale, Savannah Sparrows are the ones we see on the dunes during winter.

Our 'regular' Savannah Sparrows are just starting their nesting cycle. They lay their four or five eggs in nests built right on the ground. The nests are woven from grass and often have an arching crown to further conceal them. Later in the summer there are many more Savannahs around since the population is inflated with this year's hatch. Most LBJs depart by the end of October and are rare through the winter. If you see one its probably the Ipswich race.

The oldest Savannah Sparrow on record lived under seven years. With the hazards of migration a great many will not make it back here next spring. These sparrows are a favorite prey of both Great Horned and Barn Owls, as well as Sharp-shinned Hawks. Still overall, this species is doing very well, spread from coast to

coast and all the way to the Arctic. I

George C. West creates illustrations for these articles. If you enjoy 'social' birding, join the Nantucket Bird Club at 8 a.m. Sundays in front of Nantucket High School for a two to three hour birding trip. Call 228-1693 for more information. To hear about rare birds, or to leave a bird report call the Massachusetts Audubon hot line at 1-781-259-8805. Ask Ken a question at: kenandcindy1@comcast.net.