Episode 18: Field Sparrow – Voice of the Wild

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla). 

The Field Sparrow perseveres even when oppressive heat drives all the other birds to silence. Some remember the field sparrow’s song as a ping-pong ball dropped on a table. If the Field Sparrow isn’t calling, look for the its rusty cap and long tail if you’re too far away to see its characteristic pink-bill. 

Do you want to learn more bird songs, frog calls, and insect noises? Join Voice of the Wild every Friday to explore a new wild voice. From time to time, we’ll also do a deep dive into wildlife science, news, and natural history. Voice of the Wild is brought to you by the University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy program. 

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The following Cornell Lab | Macaulay Library recordings were used in this episode: 

Field Sparrow song by Wil Hershberger (ML509506) 

Field Sparrow call by Curtis Marantz (ML509511) 

 

Sources and more: 

• https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/field-sparrow
• https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Field_Sparrow
• Sibley, David. Sibley Birds East: Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America. Second edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. Print. 
• Peterson, Roger Tory, and Virginia Marie Peterson. A Field Guide to the Birds: A Completely New Guide to All the Birds of Eastern and Central North America. Fourth edition, completely revised and enlarged. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1980. Print. 
• Dobson, Colin et al. Field Guide to Hotspots and Birds in Illinois. Champaign-Urbana: Scissortail LLC, 2023. Print. 
• Godfrey, Michael A, John Farrand, and Roger Tory Peterson. Videoguide to the Birds of North America. New York, N.Y: MasterVision, 1985. Film. 

What is Voice of the Wild?

If you learn to listen for them, you will find wildlife everywhere. Voice of the Wild is a podcast about wildlife and the wild sounds they make. Tune in every Friday to learn a new bird song, frog call, or insect noise.

This is Illinois Extension’s Voice of the Wild. A new wild voice in just a moment, so find someplace quiet, take a deep breath, and enjoy.

When oppressive heat drives all the other birds to silence, this little sparrow perseveres. It sings even on the hottest days of summer, often from a hedgerow overlooking an abandoned, shrubby, pasture. The song starts slow but picks up speed as it goes, devolving from a sweet whistle to a crowded trill. The bird’s rusty cap and long tail are good visual fallbacks if you’re too far away to see its characteristic pink-bill.

This is the Field Sparrow, Spizella pusilla from the family of new world sparrows Passerellidae. Some remember the field sparrow’s song as a ping-pong ball dropped on a table. Think of it bouncing ever closer and faster before coming to a rest. Here’s the field sparrow again.

Thank you to the Macaulay library at the Cornell lab for our bird sounds. And thank you for tuning in to learn a new bird call with Illinois Extension.