Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
STANFORD LOCATIONS: Uncommon migrant and winter resident in weedy habitats, tall grassland, and brushy vegetation in relatively open areas. Most common in weedy areas near water, as at the edge of Lagunita.

Nest Location	Nest Type	Eggs Mating System	Dev. Parental Care	Primary & 2ndary Diet	Foraging Strategy
			F I: 12-14 DAYS ALTRICIAL
	F	4-5 (3-6) MONOG ?	F: 9-12 DAYS MF	SEEDS

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BREEDING:	Bogs, wet meadows, riparian thickets mostly in n and montane areas. 1 brood, possibly 2.
DISPLAYS:	?
NEST:	In grass tussock or sunk in shallow depression on sphagnum or moss; of grass or sedge, lined with fine grass, hair.
EGGS:	Pale green to greenish-white, marked with reddish-browns. 0.8" (19 mm).
DIET:	Includes few spiders, millipedes; grass and forb seeds. Nestlings likely fed 100% insects.
CONSERVATION:	Winters s to Honduras and El Salvador. Rare cowbird host.
NOTES:	Dominated by and may compete with Song Sparrows where breeding territories overlap. Male sings very little during incubation. Female leaves nest by mouse-running along ground when disturbed. Female performs broken-wing distraction display when flushed from nest containing young. Very unobtrusive in migration.
ESSAYS:	Bird Guilds; Distraction Displays; Territoriality; Vocal Functions.
REFERENCES:	Bent, 1968.

Help	Abbreviations	Species-Alphabetical	Species-Taxonomic	Essays-Alphabetical	Essays-Categorized
Except for Stanford Locations, the material in this species treatment is taken, with permission, from The Birder's Handbook (Paul Ehrlich, David Dobkin, & Darryl Wheye, Simon & Schuster, NY. 1988).