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.
MORPHOLOGY Variables:
NOTE: Any dates of “00/00/00” or any morphological measurements of “0” indicate
missing values.
Location
Banding location
Band ID
USF&WS band number (periods correspond to dashes)
Weight
Mass (g)
Tarsus
Tibiotarsus length (mm)
Wing L
Wing length (mm)
Bill L
Bill length (mm)
Bill D
Bill depth (mm)
Notes
Date Measured
J Date Measured
Julian date measured
Age in days
Age in years
Sex
Color
Color band combination (see rules under Adult Color)
Year
NEST Variables:
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 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)
INDIVIDUAL Variables:
Band ID
USF&WS band number (periods correspond to dashes)
Adult Color
All adults have four bands (three plastic colored bands plus an aluminum USF&WS
band). Almost all nestlings and fledglings have two bands (one plastic band
plus an aluminum USF&WS band).
We mainly use seven colors whose abbreviations are as follows: N (navy blue); R
(red); B (black); L (light blue); S (striped black and white); Y (yellow); W
(white). [There are a few combinations with dark green (G), light green (E),
orange (O), or purple (P).] Bands are read from the bird’s left to its right, and
from top to bottom.
Example: a bird with a light blue band over a yellow on its left leg, and red over
aluminum on its right would be “LY.R”; the aluminum band is always on the
bottom (left or right leg), so in this example the single color “—.R” implies
that the fourth band is the aluminum band, beneath the red one, on the right
leg. For a nestling, the combination “W.” would be white on the left,
aluminum on the right.
Sex
Banding Age
N = nestling; J= juvenile; AHY= after hatching year
Birth Year
On the basis of strong breeding philopatry and primary feather shape, birds banded as
AHY are assumed to have been born the previous year.
Mother ID
USF&WS band number of mother
Father ID
USF&WS band number of social father
Genetic Father Band
USF&WS band number of genetic father (2002-4 only)
Mother Color
Adult Color of mother
Father Color
Adult Color of social father
Genetic Father Color
Adult Color of genetic father (2002-4 only)
Min Age at Deat
Lifespan (last year seen minus birth year)
Natal Nest Key
Designation of natal nest (for birds banded as nestlings). The prefix represents the
year, the letter-number combination the 50x50 m quadrat, and the final letter
the order in which nests were found within a quadrat in a given year. So, 94M19B 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.
Natal Nest Site
Study site of natal nest (S= South Field; N= North Field; WB= West Beach; O=
other)
Nest Area
Study site of first breeding attempt as an adult (S= South Field; N= North Field; WB=
West Beach; O= other)
Day8_WL
Wing length (mm) at 7-days of age
Day8_Wt
Mass (g) at 7-days of age
Day8_TL
Tibiotarsus length (mm) at 7-days of age
Yr1 WL
Wing length (mm) as a yearling
Yr1 Tarsus
Tibiotarsus length (mm) as a yearling
Yr1 WT
Mass (g) as a yearling
Yr1 BL
Bill length (mm) as a yearling
Yr1 BD
Bill depth (mm) as a yearling
LifetimeUniqueMates
Total mates over a lifetime
Total Nests
Total nests built over a lifetime
Total Eggs
Total eggs laid over a lifetime
Total Nestlings
Total eggs hatched over a lifetime
Total Fledglings
Total nestlings that survived to 7 days over a lifetime
Total Recruits
Total offspring that returned to breed on Kent Island
Esex
Estimated sex (based on wing length and mass, for birds sexed as juveniles)
EPP
Extra-pair offspring (2002-4 only)
Notes