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Profiles
Savannah Sparrow
(Passerculus sandwichensis)
Photo © Kevin T. Kalson, Rio Grande, NJ
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Smaller than a human hand, this bird can migrate up to 6,000 miles in a year. They return to the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge in late May or early June, where the males launch singing contests to establish their territory. The birds often pair with the same mate and frequently nest within 100 yards of last year's nest, building a tunnel through the grasses to the nest. Despite such camouflage, about half the nests are lost to predators.
Savannah Sparrows migrate at night, in groups of 10 to 100, flying several hundred miles before resting. On clear nights, you might hear them overhead, calling "tsip" to each other. Since few of this species has been banded on the Arctic coastal plain, their migratory route is uncertain.
Winter range:
The Pacific coast, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, the Baja Peninsula and Mexico.
Maximum migration: 6,000 miles
Altitude: unknown
Four page factsheet:
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