Status of the Cape Sable Sparrow
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Material Information

Title:
Status of the Cape Sable Sparrow Report T-672
Creator:
South Florida Natural Resources Center/South Florida Research Center, Everglades National Park
Oron L. Bass, Jr.
James A. Kushlan
Place of Publication:
Homestead
Florida
Publisher:
National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
Publication Date:

Notes

Abstract:
The Cape Sable sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis), a subspecies of the seaside sparrow endemic to extreme southern Florida, has elicited considerable interest and concern since its discovery in the early 1900's. Before being relegated to subspecific status (Eisenmann et al. 19731, it was considered to be the last bird species described from the, United States (Howell 1919, Stimson 1968). The sparrows were widely believed to have been exterminated from Cape Sable by a hurricane in September 1935 and were not rediscovered there for 35 years (Werner 1971). The limited distribution, and apparently catastrophic history, of the Cape Sable sparrow resulted in its being classified as endangered under the original Federal listing of endangered species in 1967. Discoveries, apparent losses, and rediscoveries of sparrow populations in various areas have characterized its known history. One reason for its being little understood is the habitat it occupies. Unlike other races, which are confined to coastal salt marshes, the Cape Sable sparrow occurs predominantly in inland freshwater marshes. Such unexpected choice of habitat made it less likely for such populations to be discovered, and as a result, the status and distribution of the sparrow have remained poorly known. In an attempt to characterize the distribution and habitat use of the Cape Sable sparrow, we undertook extensive surveys from 1978 to 1980, and a census covering all available habitat in 1981. As a result, we have found that the sparrow is much more widely distributed than was previously thought. In this report, we document the present range of the Cape Sable sparrow, characterize its use of habitat, and provide an estimate of its population size. ( English )
Issuing Body:
SuDoc number: I 29.95: T-672

Record Information

Source Institution:
Florida International University
Holding Location:
South Florida Natural Resource Center
Rights Management:
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