Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 4 eggs.

Nests are placed on the ground, at bases of small bushes.

Table 20.—Occurrence in Time of Summer Resident American Buntings in Kansas

SpeciesArrivalDeparture
RangeMedianRangeMedian
Rufous-sided TowheeApr. 2-Apr. 19Apr. 9Sept. 20-Oct. 8Sept. 29
Lark BuntingMay 5-May 14May 10................
Grasshopper SparrowApr. 12-May 11Apr. 29Aug. 20-Oct. 6Aug. 31
Henslow SparrowApr. 14-Apr. 30Apr. 22Oct. 15........
Lark SparrowMar. 29-Apr. 21Apr. 18Sept. 13-Oct. 16Oct. 12
Chipping SparrowMar. 6-Apr. 29Apr. 23Oct. 3-Nov. 15Oct. 20
Field SparrowMar. 4-Apr. 28Apr. 7Oct. 5-Nov. 12Oct. 30

Chipping Sparrow: Spizella passerina passerina (Bechstein).—This is an uncommon summer resident in open woodland, second-growth, and edge. S. p. passerina is found east of stations in Barber and Shawnee counties; Chipping Sparrows are not known to breed farther to the west, but records for north-central Kansas are likely to be found. The subspecific affinities of our Chipping Sparrows are entirely with the nominate subspecies, and there is no basis for earlier reports (Long, 1940; Tordoff, 1956; Johnston, 1960) that S. p. arizonae Coues (= S. p. boreophila Oberholser) occurs in Kansas.

Breeding schedule.—Nine records of breeding fall in the period May 1 to May 10, in no way indicating the whole span of the breeding season; the species probably lays eggs in May and July, as well as in June.

Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs.

Nests are placed four to 40 feet high in evergreens of a variety of kinds.

Field Sparrow: Spizella pusilla (Wilson).—This species is a common summer resident in grassland and edge habitats. S. p. pusilla (Wilson) breeds in eastern Kansas chiefly east of the Flint Hills; S. p. arenacea Chadbourne breeds in central and western Kansas, intergrading easterly with S. p. pusilla.

Breeding schedule.—Twenty-nine records of breeding span the period April 21 to September 10 ([Fig. 9]); the modal date for first clutches is May 5.