Savannah Sparrow database variables and metadata
The data in the Savannah Sparrow database were gathered as part of a long-term
population biology study at the Bowdoin Scientific Station on Kent Island, New
Brunswick. The study was begun in 1986 by Nat Wheelwright with the assistance of
numerous undergraduate field assistants and in collaboration with various colleagues
including Corey Freeman-Gallant, Greg Mitchell, Amy Newman and Ryan Norris. All
breeding birds were banded and all nests were found in the North Field study site in every
year of the study, and in most years of the study in the South Field study site as well.
Data collection in the West Beach study site occurred in about half of the years of the
study. For further information about data collection and methods, see List of publications
based on research on Savannah Sparrows on Kent Island.
NOTE: Any hatch/fledge/fail date of “00/00/00” and any Julian hatch/fledge/fail date of
“0” indicate that the nest did not hatch/fledge/fail.
Any female age or male age of “0” indicates a missing value (e.g., unknown age). (Note
that ages of “0” in the individual or morphology files are actual values.)
NEST File:
Nest Key
Designation of nest (for breeding birds). The prefix represents the year, the letternumber combination the 50x50 m quadrat, and the final letter the order in
which nests were found within a quadrat in a given year. So, 94-M19B
represents the second (B) nest found in quadrat M19 in 1994. Note that nests
found after 2000 use “100-” to indicate 2000, “101-” to indicate 2001, etc.
Eggs Laid
Number of eggs laid (clutch size)
Female ID
Female who laid eggs in the nest
Male ID
Social mate of female who laid eggs in the nest
Female Color
Band combination of female who laid eggs in the nest (see rules under Adult Color)
Male Color
Band combination of social mate of female who laid eggs in the nest (see rules under
Adult Color)
Found Date
Date nest was discovered
J Found Date
Julian date nest was discovered
J Lay Date
Julian date first egg was laid
Hatch Date
Date first eggs hatched
Julian Hatch Date
Julian date first eggs hatched
Eggs Hatched
Number of eggs hatched
Fledglings
Number of nestlings that survived to 7 days of age
Study Site
S= South Field; N= North Field; WB= West Beach; O= other
Orientation
Compass orientation of nest entrance
Cover
Degree of cover over nest (O= open; 0.5= half-covered; C= completely covered; T=
tunnel entrance to covered nest)
Dist to Tree
Distance (m) from nest to nearest tree
Vegetation
Predominant vegetation surrounding nest (G= grass; GO= goldenrod; V= viburnum;
R= Rubus; H= miscellaneous herbs)
Veg Ht
Height (cm) of vegetation surrounding nest
Fate
Fate of nest (F= fledged at least 1; PE= preyed on at the egg stage; PN= preyed on at
the nestling stage; AE= abandoned at the egg stage; AN= abandoned at the
nestling stage)
Mating Status
Mating status of female (M= monogamous; P= polygynous)
Female Number
Rank of polygnously-mated female (1= alpha; 2= beta)
Clutch Number
1= first; 2= second; R1= replacement of first; RR1= replacement of replacement of
first; E= estimated
X coordinate
Last four digits of GPS X coordinate
Y coordinate
Last four digits of GPS Y coordinate
Fail Date
Date nest failed (except for nests with fate of “F”)
J Fail Date
Julian date nest failed
Female Age
In years
Male Age
In years
Gull Dens
Relative density (0 to 3) of gull nests in quadrat
Incest
Indication of high coefficient of relatedness (r> 0.25) between female and her social
mate
IncestEPP
Indication of high coefficient of relatedness (r> 0.25) between female and her genetic
mate (2002-2004 only)
Percent EPP
Percent of nestlings resulting from extra-pair fertilizations (2002-2004 only)
Number of EPP sires (2002-2004 only)
NoSameMatePrevious
Number of previous nests with the same social mate
BroodSexRatio
(2002-2004 only)