Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow

Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow adult; Back Bay NWR, Virginia.

About the photographs

About the map

Menu

1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A secretive bird with skulking habits and a barely audible song, the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow is restricted to salt marshes of the Atlantic and upper Gulf coasts.

Description

• Small, stocky songbird.
• Orange-yellow face.
• Gray ear patch.
• Streaked breast and flanks.
• Short, rounded tail with pointed tail feathers.

• Size: 11-13 cm (4-5 in)
• Weight: 14-19 g (0.49-0.67 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Sound

Song a series of very soft, wheezy phrases.

Conservation Status

Common, but some populations affected by development.

Other Names

Bruant [Pinson] à queue aiguë (French)
Sharp-tailed Sparrow (in part) (English)

Cool Facts

• The Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow is nonterritorial and promiscuous, and only females provide parental care. Males occupy large overlapping home ranges, and the mating relationship features forced copulations by males.
• Breeding success in many Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow populations seems limited by storms and especially ?spring? (high) tides, which often flood nests. The most successful pairs in these populations are those that renest soon after the flood tides of the new moon.

• The Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow formerly was considered as the same species as the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, collectively known as the Sharp-tailed Sparrow. The two forms have separate breeding ranges that barely overlap in Maine. They differ in genetics, songs, and subtle plumage characters.

Sources used to construct this page:

Greenlaw, J. S. and J. D. Rising. 1994. Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus). In The Birds of North America, No. 112 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists? Union.