Nelson’s Sparrow
Nelson's Sparrow
Ammospiza nelsoni
At a Glance
This marsh-loving sparrow was formerly lumped with Saltmarsh Sparrow under the name Sharp-tailed Sparrow. The Nelson's has an unusual distribution, breeding both far inland and on the coast. In the interior, it summers in freshwater marshes on the northern Great Plains. It also nests in coastal marshes along the southern edges of Hudson Bay and James Bay, and on the Atlantic Coast from Quebec south to Maine.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Coasts and Shorelines, Fields, Meadows, and Grasslands, Freshwater Wetlands, Saltwater Wetlands
Region
California, Eastern Canada, Florida, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic, New England, Plains, Southeast, Texas, Western Canada
Behavior
Direct Flight, Flitter, Running, Undulating
Population
1.000.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
More migratory than Saltmarsh Sparrow, leaving its nesting range completely in fall. Those from the interior may migrate to either the southern Atlantic Coast or the Gulf Coast. Small numbers also winter regularly in coastal California.
Description
5" (13cm). Small, short-tailed, with white or pale gray stripes on dark back. Gray cheek patch surrounded by orange-buff stripes; buff wash across chest. Suggests Le Conte's Sparrow but has central crown stripe gray (not white), unmarked gray nape. On Atlantic Coast, see Saltmarsh Sparrow.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Gray, Reddish Brown, Tan, White, Yellowish Brown, Red
Wing Shape
Broad
Tail Shape
Multi-pointed, Pointed, Rounded, Short
Songs and Calls
Song an unmusical, dry, staticky tschyyy-drrr, second part lower, often likened to water hitting a hot skillet. Call a dry, hard stik.
Habitat
Fresh and salt marshes. In the interior, it summers on the northern Great Plains, in freshwater marsh with growth of cordgrass and other grasses. On the coast, it nests in salt marsh. During the winter, it lives mainly in coastal salt marshes.
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Nelson's Sparrow
Behavior
Eggs
3-5, sometimes 2-6. Greenish white to pale blue-green, heavily dotted with reddish-brown. Incubation is by female only, 11-12 days.
Young
Nestlings are usually fed by female alone. Young leave nest about 8-11 days after hatching, may remain with female for another 2-3 weeks. May raise 2 broods per year.
Feeding Behavior
Forages while walking on the ground or while climbing in marsh plants. Picks items from surface of plants, ground, or water, and sometimes probes in mud.
Diet
Mostly insects and other invertebrates, some seeds. Animal matter makes up much of winter diet and almost all of summer diet. Feeds on insects, spiders, amphipods, small crabs and snails, marine worms, other invertebrates. Also eats seeds of grasses and other marsh plants, especially in fall and winter.
Nesting
Unusual breeding system. Males do not defend territories, but move around large area of marsh, singing to attract females. Both sexes are promiscuous, and no pairs are formed; males take no part in caring for the eggs or young. Nest site is in marsh, usually in raised situation in dense grass clumps. Nests in coastal marshes usually placed just above normal high tide mark. Nest (built by female) is a bulky open cup of grass, sometimes partially domed over, with lining of finer grass.
Conservation
Conservation Status
Undoubtedly has declined in some regions with loss of marsh habitat, but still widespread and common.
Climate Threats Facing the Nelson's Sparrow
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.