Ammospiza leconteii

BREEDING: Uses open, level uplands and lowlands, with tall, thick herbaceous vegetation and thick litter (Peabody 1901, Tester and Marshall 1961, Walkinshaw 1968, Murray 1969, Richter 1969). Wetlands, sedge meadows, prairie, grasslands within aspen parkland, planted cover (e.g., Conservation Reserve Program [CRP] fields, Permanent Cover Program [PCP] fields, and dense nesting cover [DNC]), hayfields, fallow fields, and idle pasture all support breeding populations (Peabody 1901; Walkinshaw 1937; Murray 1969; Richter 1969; Robbins 1969; Stewart 1975; Renken 1983; Cooper 1984; Niemi 1985; Renken and Dinsmore 1987; Dale 1993; Dhol et al. 1994; Hartley 1994; Jones 1994; Igl and Johnson 1995, 1999; Igl 1996; Prescott and Murphy 1995, 1996; Dale et al. 1997, McMaster and Davis 1998). Many species of tall, dense, native and tame grasses, sedges (CAREX), rushes (JUNCUS), and forbs can provide suitable habitat (Peabody 1901, Walkinshaw 1968, Murray 1969, Faanes 1981, Renken 1983, Cooper 1984, Niemi 1985; Renken and Dinsmore 1987, Dale 1993, Jones 1994, Madden 1996). Prefer areas with dense litter for nesting cover (Tester and Marshall 1961, Madden 1996).

In Minnesota and North Dakota, bred in hummocky alkali fens, tallgrass prairie, wet-meadow zones of wetlands, tame hayfields, and retired cropland (Johnsgard 1979). Nested on the ground in dense herbaceous vegetation, usually in the drier borders of wetlands. Although nested among scattered small willows (SALIX) in Minnesota and Michigan, they seemed to prefer areas free of shrubs and other woody vegetation (Peabody 1901, Walkinshaw 1968, Robbins 1969, Madden 1996). In North Dakota, were associated with a high amount of grass cover, especially broad-leaved, introduced grasses (Madden 1996).

Habitat use varies widely by region and yearly moisture conditions. In Montana, singing sparrows were observed in extensive wet meadows (Davis 1952). In North Dakota, Minnesota, and the Canadian prairie provinces, used freshwater wetlands and low wet prairie (Murray 1969). In Minnesota, three of 15 nests found were located in upland grasslands (Peabody 1901). More recent studies have found breeding evidence in drier upland areas. In Wisconsin and Minnesota, nested in dry upland grasslands, as well as in fallow fields near wetlands (Robbins 1969, Cooper 1984). In CRP fields in the northern Great Plains, occurred in both damp, low areas and dry, upland areas (Igl and Johnson 1995, 1999). In North Dakota, low, wet areas were optimal breeding habitat, but also nested in domestic hayfields and retired cropland (Stewart 1975).

In aspen parkland in Saskatchewan and Alberta, were not observed in cropland, including fallow cropland (Dale 1993, Hartley 1994, Prescott and Murphy 1995). In North Dakota, singing males were observed in small-grain fields that were CRP the previous year (L.D. Igl and D.H. Johnson, unpubl. data). Presence in these small-grain fields, however, may have been an expression of site fidelity to a previous breeding site. In Manitoba, were not detected in cropland (Jones 1994). In Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, occurred more frequently in PCP grasslands than in cropland (McMaster and Davis 1998).

NON-BREEDING: Variety of old field and prairie habitats with dense cover of grass or sedge. Examples include: moist fields of broomsedge, rice stubble, airfield grasslands, and damp weedy or grassy fields (Lowther 1996).

Rough estimates of breeding territory sizes in North Dakota and Minnesota were 0.0009-0.004 hectares (Murray 1969, Cooper 1984).

Eggs are laid from late May to early July. Clutch size is 3-5 (usually 4). Incubation, by female, lasts 11-13 days. Young are tended by female alone at first, male helps later?