Bachman’s Sparrow
Amophila aestivalis
Fire Ecology Profile for Conservation Design #1
Breeding Bird Survey
State
(NatureServe)
AL
AR
FL
GA
KY
LA
MS
NC
SC
TN
A Strategic Habitat Conservation Project
Physiographic
Province
Coastal Plain
Piedmont
LANDFIRE MapZone
37 45 46 55 56 58 60
54 59
47 48 53 57
Refuges/WMD’s:
Southeast Region Version of map better
Habitat (seasonal differences):
A resident bird associated with pine savannas and other open habitats throughout the southeastern United States. This
sparrow nests on the ground in dense cover, against/under grass tuft or under low shrub (Harrison 1978), in grassy
opening, field, or area with scattered trees. Bachman's sparrows inhabit areas with a dense layer of ground vegetation and
open mid-stories with scattered shrubs and saplings, including young clearcuts and open pine (Pinus spp.) forests
(Dunning and Watts 1990, Haggerty 1998, Plentovich et al 1998, Tucker, Hill and Holler 1998, Tucker et al 2004, Wood
et al 2004). Bachman’s sparrows occupy two main habitats in the Southeast: mature (>80 year old) pine stands that are
frequently burned (<3 year burn interval) and recently cutover areas (<5 year old; Dunning and Watts 1990). However,
productivity is lower in these latter habitats (1 vs. 3 offspring/pair/year; Liu et al 1995, Perkins et al 2003a). In
northwestern Florida, Bachman’s sparrows inhabited a longleaf pine stand during the first three years after annual spring
fires were discontinued; canopy cover was 43% and ground cover was 85%. Five years after the burns stopped canopy
cover increased to 91%, ground cover decreased to 21%, and breeding no longer occurred (Engstrom et al. 1984). In a
predominantly longleaf pine forest in Georgia, Bachman's sparrows were significantly (p=0.04) more abundant in areas
where ground cover was primarily Beyrich threeawn (Aristida beyrichiana), compared to relatively disturbed communities
comprised of bluestems (Andropogon spp.) and silkgrass (Pityopsis spp.) (Rutledge and Connor 2002).
Bachman's sparrows' need of a dense layer of herbaceous vegetation is widely documented. Vegetation density was
greater below 3 feet (0.9 m) than above 3 feet (0.9 m) and percent ground cover and percent grass cover were consistently
higher (>58%) on sites occupied by Bachman's sparrow than unoccupied sites in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, South
Carolina and North Carolina (Haggerty 2000). In 17- to 28-year-old slash pine plantations of northwestern Florida that had
been burned within 4 years, Bachman's sparrow abundance was significantly (p=0.043) correlated (r=0.46) with relative
volume of grass (Tucker, et al 1998). Sites occupied by Bachman's sparrows in longleaf pine woodlands of Florida
managed for the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) had significantly (p=0.007) higher vegetation densities ≤2
feet (0.5 m) than unoccupied sites in the study area. Grass density, primarily bluestems (Andropogon spp. and
Schizachyrium spp.) ≤2 feet (0.5 m) above ground, was also significantly (p=0.004) greater on occupied compared to
unoccupied sites (Plentovich et al 1998). Bachman's sparrows were significantly (p≤0.01) more abundant in mixed pinegrassland restoration stands in Mississippi, which had greater understory, grass, and forb cover, than traditionally managed
stands (Wood et al 2004).
Amount of litter and debris on a site may influence Bachman's sparrow habitat selection. Percent litter cover was
consistently high (>58%) on sites occupied by Bachman's sparrow in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and
North Carolina (Haggerty 2000). Haggerty (2000) suggests that litter may provide habitat for Bachman's sparrow prey,
but that too much litter could interfere with foraging. In loblolly and shortleaf pine plantations of Arkansas, litter cover
(78%) and depth (0.5 inches (1.2 cm) on sites occupied by Bachman's sparrows were significantly (p≤0.01) lower than
litter cover (88.9%) and depth (1.6 inches (4.2 cm)) on unoccupied sites (Haggerty 1998).
Fire Ecology Profile for Conservation Design #1
2/12/2016
A Strategic Habitat Conservation Project
Bachman’s Sparrow
Fire Ecology Profile for Conservation Design #1
Amophila aestivalis
A Strategic Habitat Conservation Project
Bachman's sparrow inhabits areas with open overstories. In longleaf and loblolly pine stands of varying ages and under
different management in South Carolina, plots occupied by Bachman's sparrows consistently had low volumes of
vegetation from 7 to 13 feet (2-4 m) above ground compared to unoccupied sites (Dunning and Watts 1990). In middleaged and mature forests of Georgia comprised primarily of loblolly pine, Bachman sparrow densities were negatively
associated with tree/shrub volume and vegetation volume from 7 to <16 feet (3 to <5 m) (Gobris 1992). In loblolly and
shortleaf pine plantations of Arkansas, Bachman's sparrow breeding areas had significantly lower percent canopy cover
(p<0.001), shorter woody vegetation (p≤0.01) and fewer trees (p<0.001) and shrubs (p≤0.05) than unoccupied sites
(Haggerty 1998). Mid-story density was marginally (p=0.055) greater on unoccupied sites, and Bachman's sparrow
abundance was significantly (p=0.043) negatively correlated (r= -0.446) with mid-story density in longleaf pine
woodlands of northwestern Florida. However, relative abundance of Bachman's sparrows was not significantly (p=0.107)
associated with canopy cover and there were no significant (p=0.133) differences in canopy cover between occupied and
unoccupied sites (Plentovich et al 1998).
In north-central Florida, densities of Bachman's sparrows in young (2-4 years) slash pine plantations with artificial snags
added (n=3) was 31.4 pairs/km², while in similar vegetation without snags (n=3) Bachman's sparrow density was 22.3
pairs/km² (Caine and Marion 1991). An investigation of Bachman's sparrow habitat characteristics in 1- to 6-year-old
loblolly pine stands of eastern Texas led to recommendations that 2 to 5 tall (>39 feet (12 m)) trees/100 ha remain on a
clearcut for Bachman sparrow singing perches (Wan and Wan 1987). In Georgia, the lack of vegetation from 10 to <16
feet (3 to <5 m) was suggested as a possible reason for the absence of Bachman's sparrows from open field vegetation
(Gobris 1992). However, across the southeast, vegetation density from 3 to 6 feet (0.91-1.8 m) above ground varies widely
on sites occupied by Bachman's sparrows, suggesting their requirements for the density of this vegetation layer are
comparatively flexible (Haggerty 2000).
Landscape/Spatiality-Temporality (Mobility, Area Sensitivity, Insularity-Connectivity Considerations):
Based on the poor colonizing ability of this species – suitable clearcut habitats >3 km from a source population generally
remained unoccupied in South Carolina (Dunning and others 1995). Forest patch size is a factor because of the relatively
large home range size for this species (mean = 2.5 ha; Haggerty 1998). Home range size varied among regions and habitat
types (reviewed in Mitchell 1998), being slightly larger in evergreen stands (4.8 ha) than in ephemeral early successional
habitats (2.2 ha). Breeding territory was 0.3-1.3 ha (average 0.62 ha) over one breeding cycle in southern Missouri
(Hardin et al. 1982), 2.49 ha over the entire breeding season in Arkansas (see LeGrand and Schneider 1992). In Missouri,
distances between boundaries of adjacent territories were 65-100 m. Some timber lands and agricultural settings may
provide management opportunities that could benefit the sparrows and remain cost-effective. Such areas managed in this
way should provide a minimum of 75 ha of suitable habitat in any one breeding season. Size and shape also are important.
Managed areas should be somewhat square or circular, rather than long and narrow, because powerline clearings or other
narrrow clearings do not seem to be suitable (Legrand and Schneider 1992).
Factors such as the patchiness of vegetation and species composition of the ground layer may affect habitat suitability by
influencing foraging success and the availability of food and nesting material. In Georgia, Bachman's sparrows did not
occur in open areas with uniformly dense herbaceous vegetation, despite these sites having a similar volume of vegetation
≤3 feet (1 m) above ground as recently-burned pineland sites that were occupied by Bachman's sparrow (Gobris 1992).
Although measurements were not taken, observations of Bachman's sparrow in clearcuts in eastern Texas suggest they
may favor tall grass in clumpy rather that uniform distribution (Wan and Wan 1987). In loblolly and shortleaf pine
plantations of Arkansas, explanations suggested for a lack of evidence of ground layer features influencing selection of
breeding territories included importance of habitat characteristics that were not measured, such as patchiness of the
herbaceous layer and species composition (Haggerty 1998).
The ability of the Bachman's sparrow to detect and colonize areas before they are no longer suitable may depend on the
size and isolation of the habitat. The probability of Bachman's sparrow occupying pine-grassland restoration stands in
Mississippi increased as size of areas with long burning rotations, short-harvest rotations, and no removal of hardwoods
decreased (p=0.05) and as the perimeter to area ratio of these areas increased (p=0.02) (Wood et al 2004). In South
Carolina, distance from source populations significantly (p≤0.05) influenced the ability of Bachman's sparrows to colonize
recent clearcuts in both years on one study area and in 1 of 2 years in another study area. The authors suggest that the
presence of corridors in the latter study area may have resulted in distance being less influential (Dunning et al 1995).
The context of a burn on the landscape scale is likely to impact Bachman's sparrows' response to a fire. The different
responses of Bachman's sparrows on 2 stands in South Carolina suggest that the presence of Bachman's sparrow habitat
Fire Ecology Profile for Conservation Design #1
2/12/2016
A Strategic Habitat Conservation Project
Bachman’s Sparrow
Fire Ecology Profile for Conservation Design #1
Amophila aestivalis
A Strategic Habitat Conservation Project
adjacent to a burn could result in lower dispersal-related mortality and a smaller overall impact on reproductive output.
The researchers suggest planning burns spatially to minimize dispersal distances and/or provide corridors between suitable
habitat patches (Seaman and Kremmentz 2000).
A fire interval of approximately ≤5 years is required for the maintenance of Bachman's sparrow habitat (Dunning and
Watts 1990, Engstrom et al 1994, Plentovich et al 1998, Tucker et al 2004).
Desired Future Habitat Conditions (Specific and Measurable Habitat Parameters):
Dense (>65%) grass-forb ground cover (< 1 meter tall) layer with at least 10% bare soil and mean litter depth <0.5 inches.
Open (<20% cover) woody mid-story (1-4 meters tall) layer. Open (<60%) pine overstory canopy. Manage for habitat
patches of at least 3.5 ha, spaced <0.5 Km apart (Pulliam, et al 1994) and <3 Km from an occupied habitat patch.
SMART Objectives
Bachman’s Sparrow
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Amophila aestivalis
Maintain/increase live bunch grass-forb understory at/to >65% cover, as measured by the end of the first posttreatment growing season (Dunning and Watts 1990).
Expose mineral soil surface in patches over at least 10% of the treated area and reduce mean litter depth to <0.5
inches as measured within 1 month post treatment (Cox and Jones 2008).
Reduce/maintain woody midstory (1-4 meters tall) cover to/at <20% as measured within 36 months post
treatment (Dunning and Watts 1990).
Maintain pine canopy cover at <60% as measured within 5 years post treatment (Dunning and Watts 1990).
Monitoring for Treatment Success – Recommended (FIREMon) Protocols
Bachman’s Sparrow
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Live bunch grass-forb understory % cover
Bare mineral soil % cover
Mean litter depth
Woody midstory (1-4 meters tall) % cover.
Pine canopy % cover at <60%.
Amophila aestivalis
Photo point, point intercept, line intercept, or Brown’s Fuel
Transects
Brown’s Fuel Transects
Photo point, or line intercept
Vertical Photo point, Densitiometer, or Tree Data
References Cited :
Caine, Linda A., Marion, Wayne R. 1991. Artificial addition of snags and nest boxes to slash pine plantations.
Journal of Field Ornithology. 62(1): 97-106.
Cox, Jim and Jones, Clark. 2008. Bachman’s sparrow the order of the Phoenix. Birding. American Birding
Association. May/June 2008. pp. 38-45.
Dunning, John B., Jr. 2006. Bachman’s sparrow. Birds of North America [Online]. Cornell Laboratory of
Ornithology. Issue # 038. Available: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/038 [Accessed: May 22, 2008].
Dunning, John B., Jr.; Borgella, Rene, Jr.; Clements, Krista; Meffe, Gary K. 1995. Patch isolation,
corridor effects, and colonization by a resident sparrow in a managed pine woodland. Conservation Biology. 9(3): 542550.
Dunning, John B., Jr.; Watts, Bryan D. 1990. Regional differences in habitat occupancy by Bachman's
Sparrow. The Auk. 107(3): 463-472.
Fire Ecology Profile for Conservation Design #1
2/12/2016
A Strategic Habitat Conservation Project
Bachman’s Sparrow
Fire Ecology Profile for Conservation Design #1
Amophila aestivalis
A Strategic Habitat Conservation Project
Engstrom, R. Todd; Crawford, Robert L.; Baker, W. Wilson. 1984. Breeding bird populations in
relation to changing forest structure following fire exclusion: a 15-year study. The Wilson Bulletin. 96(3): 437-450.
Gobris, Nancy M. 1992. Habitat occupancy during the breeding season by Bachman's Sparrow at Piedmont National
Wildlife Refuge in central Georgia. Athens, GA: University of Georgia. 45 p. Thesis.
Haggerty, Thomas M. 2000. A geographic study of the vegetation structure of Bachman's Sparrow (Aimophila
aestivalis) breeding habitat. Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science. 71(3): 120-129.
Haggerty, Thomas M. 1998. Vegetation structure of Bachman's Sparrow breeding habitat and its relationship to
home range. Journal of Field Ornithology. 69(1): 45-50.
Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture. 2008. Landbird Habitat Suitability Index Model: Bachman’s sparrow
Amophila aestivalis [Online] Available: http://www.lmvjv.org/hsi_model/ [May 27, 2008].
Meyer, Rachelle. 2006. Aimophila aestivalis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available:
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2008, May 26].
NatureServe. 2008. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.0.
NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed: May 27, 2008).
Plentovich, Sheldon; Tucker, James W., Jr.; Holler, Nicholas R.; Hill, Geoffrey E. 1998.
Enhancing Bachman's sparrow habitat via management of red-cockaded woodpeckers. Journal of Wildlife Management.
62(1): 347-354.
Rutledge, Brandon T.; Conner, L. Mike. 2002. Potential effects of groundcover restoration on breeding bird
communities in longleaf pine stands. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 30(2): 354-360.
Seaman, B.D.; Krementz, D. G. 2000. Movements and survival of Bachman's sparrows in response to prescribed
summer burns in South Carolina. In: Eversole, Arnold G., ed. Proceedings of the annual conference of the Southeastern
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies; 2000 October 28-November 1; Baton Rouge, LA. 54. Tallahassee, FL:
Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies: 227-240.
Tucker, James W., Jr.; Hill, Geoffrey E.; Holler, Nicholas R. 1998. Managing mid-rotation pine
plantations to enhance Bachman's sparrow habitat. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 26(2): 342-348.
Tucker, James W., Jr.; Robinson, W. Douglas; Grand, James B. 2004. Influence of fire on Bachman's
sparrow, an endemic North American songbird. Journal of Wildlife Management. 68(4): 1114-1123.
Wan Ramle, Wan A. Kadir. 1987. Vegetational characteristics of early successional sites utilized for breeding by
the Bachman's Sparrow (Aimophila aestivalis) in eastern Texas. Nacogdoches, TX: Stephen F. Austin State University. 46
p. Thesis.
Wood, Douglas R.; Burger, L. Wes, Jr.; Bowman, Jacob L., Hardy, Carol L. 2004. Avian
community response to pine-grassland restoration. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 32(3): 819-829. [61603]
Fire Ecology Profile for Conservation Design #1
2/12/2016
A Strategic Habitat Conservation Project