N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission News Releases

Helping Bachman’s Sparrow, One Song at a Time

A biologist gently holds a Bachman’s sparrow.

MEDIA: Hi-res versions of these images may be downloaded here. Please credit the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

The Bachman’s Sparrow

Bachman’s sparrow is a small, brown bird that lives in upland, open pine forests. While drab in appearance and secretive in nature, this bird has a sweet song, heard each spring. Some interesting facts:

• Most abundant in North Carolina in the longleaf pine ecosystem of the Sandhills
• Most abundant in stands that have been burned within the past four years.
• Decline in quality and quantity of habitat across the bird’s range is correlated with declines in populations.
• The Breeding Bird Survey has detected an 18.9 percent decline in counts of Bachman’s sparrows over the past decade.
• Identified as a high priority species of conservation concern by Partners In Flight and the N.C. Wildlife Action Plan.
• A songbird study initiated in 2004, funded by State Wildlife Grants and the Tax Check-Off Option, detected a response by Bachman’s sparrows to habitat management conducted for the Cooperative Upland habitat Restoration and Enhancement (CURE) program on Sandhills Game Land.

RALEIGH, N.C. (Feb. 19, 2007) – Equipped with an MP3 player downloaded with some catchy love songs, a N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission biologist takes to the pine forests of the Sandhills game lands.

It isn’t an afternoon getaway. The biologist is working and the MP3 player is playing mating songs of the Bachman’s sparrow, identified as a species of special concern in North Carolina.

This secretive songbird is difficult to see, but males of the species will sing all day from low branches. Biologists are using MP3 players to elicit a response from breeding males, providing a more accurate count of breeding individuals and a better opportunity to understand their habitat needs. Bachman’s sparrows face threats from predation and habitat loss, but benefit from forest management.

The Bachman’s sparrow project, and others like it, get funding thanks to the generosity of anyone using the Tax Check-off Option on North Carolina income tax forms. The check-off allows anyone due a refund of $1 or more to contribute any or all of it to the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund.

“The Bachman's sparrow project incorporates our focus on rare or threatened habitats and species prioritized within the Wildlife Action Plan,” said Ryan Myers, a survey biologist with the Cooperative Upland habitat Restoration and Enhancement program (CURE).

“This research is part of our biological evaluation of grassland or shrub land bird responses to habitat improvements,” he said, explaining how land management programs benefit songbirds and other species.

To participate in the Tax Check-off Option, enter an amount on line 26 of the state income tax form. If you are not eligible for a refund, but would still like to contribute, donations can be sent to: Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund, 1722 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1722. All donations are tax-deductible.

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