A-Henslow'sSparrow

Photo Study Of A Henslow's Sparrow At The Wilds In Cumberland, Ohio, July 22nd, 2010

We drove out to Columbus, Ohio this week to visit with my son and daughter-in-law. Of course, I had to take a few hours to check out the Ohio bird scene. Dr. Bernie Master, a local retired physician, is an avid birder and a major philanthropist to conservation causes (he is also on the boards of the Columbus Zoo as well as The Wilds) and he was kind enough to take me to The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio. The Wilds is one of the largest and most innovative wildlife conservation centers in the world. Located on nearly 10,000 acres in southeast Ohio, it is home to rare and endangered species from around the globe living in a natural, open-range habitat, as well as home to hundreds of indigenous species. It is a former strip mine but it has recovered into an outstandingly beautiful grassland prairie. In any event, not only is Dr. Master a gracious host but he also has incredible hearing. We were driving into the park and within two minutes he heard a Henslow's Sparrow calling. We stopped and got the scopes and cameras out and were rewarded with really great looks at this very beautiful yet too often elusive little sparrow.

Henslow's Sparrow Perched

Henslow's Sparrow Sings

Henslow's Sparrow Preens

An uncommon and famously inconspicuous bird (4-5 inches long), the Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) breeds in the weedy grasslands of the east-central United States. Its population numbers have declined steadily over the past few decades, largely because of habitat loss. The Henslow's Sparrow, first discovered in 1820 in Kentucky by J.J. Audubon, was named by him in 1831 in honor of the famous Cambridge University professor John Stevens Henslow. Once abundant, its populations are now scattered and much reduced. It is currently considered a species of special management concern. Adults have streaked brown upperparts with a light brown breast with streaks, a white belly and a white throat. They have a pale stripe on the crown with a dark stripe on each side, an olive face and neck, rust-colored wings and a short dark forked tail. These birds forage on the ground, mainly eating insects and seeds. Their song is a quick se-lick. (Cornell BNA; Wikpedia)

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