Introduction Field sparrows (Spizella pusilla) are songbirds native to Northern America that tend to breed in second-growth scrub and brushy pastures near the forest edge (Carey et al. 1994) Population is currently in decline, primarily due to habitat loss Our goal was to increase knowledge of field sparrow behavior to improve management practices and prevent further decline Focused on determining what effect age of parent field sparrows has on their parental behaviors by monitoring nestling provisioning rate and size of prey delivered Nestlings that receive larger prey items tend to have a higher success rate (Schwagmeyer and Mock 2007) Hypothesis: Older, presumably more experienced birds, would visit the nest more frequently and provide their nestlings with larger prey items than younger, presumably less experienced birdsAcknowledgements and ReferencesMany thanks to the Chester River Field Research Center of Chino Farms and to the Washington College Center for Environment and Society for providing Dr. Carr and I with the resources necessary to conduct our study. Also, thank you to the Toll Science and Mathematics Fellowship Program for allowing me to have this opportunity.

A. Carey, Michael D., and Dirk E. Burhans. 1994. Field sparrow: Spizella pusilla. American Ornithologists' Union.B. Schwagmeyer, P.l., and Douglas W. Mock. 2008. "Parental provisioning and offspring fitness: size matters." Animal Behaviour 75.1: 291-298.

Methods Location: Chester River Field Research Center of Chino Farms in Chestertown, MD (39.23, -76.01) Time: Late May-Early August mornings, between 0545 and 1100Identification and Nest Location We used binoculars and spotting scopes to identify field sparrows and observe their behavior Banding was used as our main form of identification, as each bird is given unique color and federal bands, which also mark its sex and age, upon captureMist Netting Unbanded birds were captured using targeted and non-targeted mist netting techniques and then assigned bands Nets were set up near known territories of males or in a V shape around a nest siteVideo Recording and Analysis Nests were monitored using video cameras for two hour time periods to record parental behavior during that time These videos were later analyzed and parental provisioning rate of both the male and female as well as prey size provided were recordedObservations of the Parental Behaviors of Field Sparrows (Spizella pusilla)Cait Kerr1 and Dr. Jennie Carr21Department of Environmental Science and Studies, 2Department of BiologyWashington CollegeResults and Expectations Using the data we collected throughout the course of our study, we will be able to determine if one sex tends to visit the nest more frequently or deliver larger prey items and what role age plays in nest visits and prey size. This study was unique in that we were able to determine the exact age of the parents, to the year, whereas previous researchers had only categorized the birds as second year or beyond second year. As a result, we will be able to determine the exact correlation between age and nestling provisioning rate as well as between age and prey size delivered. Research will continue next field season in order to establish a larger sample size. The methods used in the future will be refined based off of what we learned from our observations this season and the challenges we faced.Abstract Field sparrows (Spizella pusilla) are common grassland birds native to eastern North America. The birds breed in second-growth scrub and brushy pastures, usually near the edge of a tree line. Their population is currently in decline, primarily due to habitat loss. Prior studies have been conducted on the feeding patterns of adult sparrows relative to their sex and the age of their nestlings. Results have shown that females tend to be more attentive to the nestlings than males and older chicks receive food more frequently. Our research focused on feeding frequency relative to the age of the parents. What made this project unique was that we were able to determine the exact age of each parent, to the exact year, whereas prior studies only categorized parents as second year birds or beyond second year birds. This was made possible by the banding practices used at the Chester River Field Research Center, which began in 1999. Through locating nests in the field, identifying the parents by their unique, color-coded leg bands, and subsequently recording the activity at each nest site over a set period of time, we were able to observe feeding patterns of parents of varied ages, both genders, with younger and older chicks, throughout the majority of their breeding season. Our results will lead to increased knowledge about the parenting behaviors of field sparrows throughout their lifespans. We will also be able to see the direct affect that age has upon these behaviors. Research on field sparrows and their behaviors could potentially allow for better management practices, which would help to maintain their populations.