Written by Mills Guanci
Cover photo by Randy Schietzelt
The clay-colored sparrow was declared extirpated in Illinois, meaning that no more of these birds are considered to be living in the entire state. This, however, is untrue. Retired Professor of Biology and member of the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board, Randy Schietzelt, knew of a population of rare clay-colored sparrows in McHenry County. He spoke out at a meeting, declaring they were not extirpated at all! Randy set out to prove that there were clay-colored sparrows breeding at Pioneer Tree Farm, thus proving that the bird should not be considered extirpated. This could increase protection and care for the clay-colored sparrow, allowing them to regrow their populations.
In order to prove that there were clay-colored sparrows at Pioneer Tree Farm, Randy had to go out and find them. He’s been going out for years to collect data about the birds and, in recent years, has taken Defenders interns out with him to gain experience. He stands at six different plots and searches for five minutes per plot in order to get consistent data. This year, Gena and I went with him. The goal of the search is to find sparrows that are exhibiting signs that they are living here long term- in June, we look for signs of breeding and nesting. We found two birds exhibiting such behaviors and recorded where they were, what the location was like, and what they were doing.
This is fewer birds than last year, but it is possible that their populations have been affected by an outside factor, such as low rains or habitat changes. Clay-colored sparrows need young trees with lots of space and cannot thrive in open fields or forests. This means their niche is relatively small and changes over time. Tree farms can be perfect for them, and Pioneer Tree Farm’s dedication to organic trees makes them an ideal location. In either case, we don’t know enough yet to pinpoint a reason. It is possible that populations will be back up next year. 
Randy’s commitment to bringing back the clay-colored sparrows is a testament to scientists’ dedication to improving the world. Nearly single-handedly, his work is making a difference in his community and certainly for the clay-colored sparrows. If Randy succeeds in making Illinois acknowledge them, they will be put back on the Illinois Threatened and Endangered Species List. This would gain them protections such as habitat preservation and legal protection. Hopefully, Randy’s hard work will pay off soon!
Photo of interns by Nancy Schietzelt
