Lark Sparrows (Chondestes grammacus) breeding in Autauga County, Alabama

Published in 2001

The Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) is considered a rare-but-regular breeder in the Tennessee Valley and Black Belt regions of Alabama (Jackson 2001). In the Tennessee Valley region, recent evidence of breeding has been noted in Limestone (Cutten and Cutten 1998), Madison, Lawrence (Jackson 1999), and Lauderdale counties (Jackson 2000a). In the Upper Coastal Plain, breeding evidence has primarily come from the Black Belt (Imhof 1976). As early as 1890, Lark Sparrow breeding was reported from Hale County (Howell 1924). In addition, Reid (1988) found them on a U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Breeding Bird Survey route in Sumter County in 1986 and 1987. Recently, Upper Coastal Plain breeding season records outside of the Black Belt region have come from Perry (Jackson 1999) and Chilton counties (Jackson 2000b). This paper documents a breeding record from an additional county in the Upper Coastal Plain region and presents a brief historical review of the distribution of this species in eastern North America.


Author: Lawrence F. Gardella and Shawn Reed
Volume Number: 47 Year Published: 2001
Issue Number: 1
Page Number: 12

Link to article: http://birdlife.aosbirds.org/2001/Vol. 47 No 1 2001_p12-14 .pdf
Link to the full issue of BirdLife: http://birdlife.aosbirds.org/2001/Vol. 47 No 1 2001 .pdf