Clay-colored Sparrow - Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas Website

468 SPECIES ACCOUNTS
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
Spizella pallida
The "buzz, buzz, buzz" song of the Clay-colored Sparrow
is often the first indication one has of the presence of this
small, relatively inconspicuous brown sparrow. It can be
found across much of the northern Great Plains eastward
into Minnesota, Michigan, Ontario, and, rarely, New York.
It winters in the southern tip of Texas, Mexico, and farther
south (AOU 1983). In Michigan, it is found breeding mostly
in the UP and the dry, sandy barrens of the northern LP.
HABITAT Acceptable habitat for breeding includes aban
doned shrubby fields, pine plantations, regenerating burns,
and thickets. They seem to prefer grassy areas interspersed
with small coniferous or deciduous trees and shrubs with
nearby water (Knapton 1979, Ehrlich et al. 1988). In Michi
gan, Clay-colored Sparrows appear restricted to upland hills
and plains. In the northern LP, they occur frequently in areas
occupied by the Kirtland's Warbler.
The nest is a compact grass cup with a lining of fine mate
rials. It is placed above the ground in a grass tuft or at the
base of a shrub, or in a low shrub or small tree where it is
well hidden (Harrison 1978, Ehrlich et al. 1988). Nests in
dense, tall vegetation and those made later in the season tend
to be higher above ground.
SEASONAL OCCURRENCE Male Clay-colored Sparrows
arrive on their breeding areas in late April and females shortly
thereafter (Knapton 1979). Breeding occurs by mid to late
May. Birds can be found on their territories through July,
though by then they may be very inconspicuous. Adults and
young may stay in the general area through August, but they
are rarely seen and little is known about their lives in late
summer. Migration is probably completed by October
as there are few records beyond that time for Michigan
(Zimmerman and Van Tyne 1959, McWhirter and Beaver
1977, Kelley 1978, Payne 1983). Fall birds are very similar
in appearance to Chipping Sparrows and may be easily over
looked.
STATUS The Clay-colored Sparrow may have been absent
from Michigan in presettlement times, though some habitat
created by periodic fires existed. Early 20th-century speci
mens were taken at Port Huron in St. Clair Co., and on Isle
Royale (Barrows 1912). By the mid 1900s, the species was
apparently fairly abundant in the western UP and there were
records of breeding in the northern LP in Ogemaw and
Roscommon counties (Wood 1951).
Most records during the Atlas period come from the
western UP, primarily in areas of uplands that have been sub
jected to logging. A cluster of records occurs in the farm
land areas of Chippewa Co., south and west of Sault Ste.
Marie. In spite of the lower coverage in the UP compared
to the LP, the greatest number of blocks with Clay-colored
Sparrows occurred in this region. Atlas observers reported
possible, probable, or confirmed breeding in 175 UP blocks.
Toward the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula reports
were few and there were no records from Isle Royale, where
Johnsson and Shelton (1982) listed it only as a rare migrant.
Atlas records from the LP are concentrated mostly in the
sandy, hilly uplands in and adjacent to Otsego, Crawford, and
Oscoda counties. A small concentration of Clay-colored
Sparrows is also evident in northern Cheboygan Co. Reports
were widely scattered in counties bordering Lake Huron and
in a few centrally located counties south to the level of
Saginaw Bay. Altogether, there were confirmed breeding
records from 7 northern LP counties. There were only 15
blocks with Clay-colors in the southern LP, and the only con
firmation in the region came from the outside base of the
Thumb, in St. Clair Co. The map may somewhat underrepresent
the actual distribution of this species due to its
preference for shrubby habitat and quiet, insect-like call.
Populations in the UP seem to be relatively low, even in
suitable habitat. BBS routes covered during the Atlas period
averaged 1.5 birds per route, with the highest average count
of 3 on a route in Menominee and Dickinson counties. In
the northern LP, Clay-colored Sparrows were recorded on
only six routes and counts were very low (0.3 per route).
Currently, the Clay-colored Sparrow is thought to be
spreading eastward in both Ontario (R. Knapton in Cadman
et al. 1987) and New York (P. G. Novak in Andrle and Carroll
1988). Sightings and breeding records have increased in the
last 20 years in both of these regions.
The relatively uncommon status of the Clay-colored
Sparrow in Michigan may change as a result of continued
drought and intensive forest management. Larger areas of
preferred habitat may become available in both the UP and
LP. There also may be increases in the southern LP if cur
rent trends in reversion of marginal farm lands to brushy
habitat and planting of Christmas trees continues (Adams et
al. 1988).
Donald L. Beaver

CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
Possible
Probable
Confirmed
PJON TOTAL S 143
BREEDING EVIDENCE
Number of townships reported
UP
87
41
15
NLP
53
14
9
76
SLP
10
3
I
14
TOTALS
Percentage of total townships
150
58
25
233
23.4 12.9 2.0 12.3
(of 610) (of 590) (of 696) (of 1896)
Miles
25
40
Kilometers