Bachman's Sparrows use burrows and palmetto clumps as escape refugia from predators

Abstract

Abstract We documented Bachman's Sparrows (Aimophila aestivalis) entering natural burrows on six different occasions on a dry prairie in central Florida. Use of burrows was apparently an attempt to escape potential predators. Although Bachman's Sparrows were usually flushed from grass-dominated microsites, they preferred to fly to palmetto clumps (Serenoa repens) that had burrows rather than palmetto clumps lacking burrows. This behavior has inherent risks because these burrows are often used by a variety of animals, including predators of small passerines.