ground when threatened by other birds. They also produce alarm calls when threatened to alert others. Conservation status This species is classified as being of near threatened by the IUCN. The total breeding population is estimated at about 2 million individuals. However, the species came to be included on the "Audubon Watchlist" because there appears to have been a decline in the number of birds observed in annual Christmas Bird Counts across North America. The species is fairly adaptable in wintering habitat and feeding opportunities and its habitat is isolated enough to be out of reach for heavy human development, which makes the recent declines something of a mystery. The species breeds on the northern edge of boreal forests and it is possible that habitat change in their breeding range is affecting this sparrow. The boreal forest, beyond heavy logging, has been adversely affected by increased wildfire and declining soil quality, both of which are likely correlated to global climate change. References Sparrows and Buntings: A Guide to the Sparrows and Buntings of North America and the World by Clive Byers & Urban Olsson. Houghton Mifflin (1995). . Further reading Norment, C. J. Ph.D. (2007). Return to Warden's Grove: Science, desire, and the lives of sparrows. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa Press. Norment, C. J. and S. A. Shackleton. 1993. Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula). In The Birds of North America, No. 64 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists’ Union. External links Harris's sparrow species account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology Harris's sparrow - Zonotrichia querula - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter Harris's sparrow photo gallery VIREO Harris's sparrow Birds of Canada Harris's sparrow