Silas Hernandez, Homeschool
Warren County
Henslow’s Sparrow
Zoom+ Henslow’s sparrow. Silas Hernandez
Hi! I’m a male Henslow’s sparrow, also known as Ammondramus henslowii, a small tan sparrow with an olive colored head, chestnut wings, and a light belly. With dark streaks on my breast, wings, and head, I am a pretty camouflaged fellow. The females look just like me. As a secretive bird, I like to run along the ground, hidden by the grass of fallow fields, pastures, or wetlands. Listen for my song, a buzzy tse-lick, in those habitats. I eat a variety of things like seeds, ants, snails, and caterpillars. Now that I’ve told you about myself, I will introduce you to how we live.
Like other migrating birds, we return to our northern breeding grounds in late April and May. After we find our mates, the females search for a hidden place in tall grass or in a bush. There they make beautiful, light-colored, reddish brown spotted eggs. They are the ones that sit on the eggs for 10 to 11 days. Once the eggs hatch, both parents care for the young. They are 9 to 10 days old on the exciting day when they fledge.
We are a state endangered species in New Jersey, mostly because of habitat loss; scientists think that we are extirpated, which means we don’t breed here. People are draining wetlands and making buildings on farmland—our favorite nesting spots! Another thing that makes it hard is early mowing of fields which can kill our babies. To help, people can preserve our habitat so that we can breed. Farmers can lend a hand by mowing after breeding season. Hopefully in the days to come, New Jersey will be a place for Henslow’s sparrows, like me, to live.
Written by: Silas Hernandez
Homeschool
Great Meadows, NJ
Teachers: Michele and Marco Hernandez