Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family EMBERIZIDAE

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

From meadows to marshland, and from temperate coastlines to tundra, the Savannah Sparrow is found in various open habitats throughout much of North America. It varies widely across its range, with 17 recognized subspecies.

Cool Facts

• The "Ipswich Savannah Sparrow," a subspecies that breeds on Sable Island, Nova Scotia, is nearly 50 percent heavier than most other Savannah Sparrow subspecies. It is the palest race, and is found in winter in sand dunes along the Atlantic Coast. It was formerly considered a separate species.
• In many parts of the species' range, especially in coastal areas and islands, Savannah Sparrows tend very strongly to return each year to the area where they hatched. This tendency, called natal philopatry, is the driving force for differentiation of numerous Savannah Sparrow subspecies.

• Of the 17 recognized subspecies, 6 are resident or partially migratory in salt marshes in California and Mexico.

Description

• Size: 11-15 cm (4-6 in)
• Wingspan: 20-22 cm (8-9 in)
• Weight: 15-28 g (0.53-0.99 ounces)

• Small songbird.
• Brown or grayish-brown overall.
• Streaking on back, breast, and flanks.
• Yellowish eyebrow stripe.

• Eyebrow stripe usually yellow, or sometimes beige.
• Crown has a pale stripe down the middle, except in saltmarsh populations.
• Tail medium-long, notched, and all brown.
• A little yellow in bend of wing (inconspicuous).
• Bill horn-colored.
• Legs pinkish.
• Eyes dark brown.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Immature

Similar to adult, but buffier and with crown stripe indistinct.

Similar Species

• Many birds of open country, including other sparrow species, are also brown and streaked.
• Vesper Sparrow has a bold white eyering and white outer tail feathers.
• Song Sparrow is larger, with a longer tail, a rounded tail tip, and a thick mustache stripe. Shows large chest spot, but Savannah can show one too.
• Species of the genus Ammodramus, such as Grasshopper Sparrow and Baird's Sparrow, show buff tones in the face and breast, and have unforked, often spiky tails

Sound

Song consists of several short notes followed by two or more high, thin, long buzzes. Various calls include a sharp, high chip and a slow series of repeated notes.

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds throughout Alaska and most of Canada, into the United States as far southward as coastal southern California, northern New Mexico, the Great Lakes region, and the southern Appalachian Mountains. Also breeds in Baja California and central Mexico.

Winter Range

Winters from the mid-Atlantic seaboard across the southern United States to the southern California coast, as well as most of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and various islands in the Caribbean.

Habitat

Inhabits a wide range of open country, including meadows, agricultural fields, pastures, salt marshes, and tundra.

Detailed Habitat

The "Ipswich Savannah Sparrow" is found in all seasons almost exclusively in coastal marram grass communities.

Food

Insects, insect larvae, and other small arthropods. Also consumes seeds, especially outside the breeding season.

Behavior

Foraging

Feeds mostly on the ground, generally alone or, during the nonbreeding season, in small flocks.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest has an outer layer of coarse grasses, with a tightly woven inner cup of finer grasses. Located on the ground.

Egg Description

Pale greenish, bluish, tan, or white, with speckles and streaks. Color varies widely even within populations, and sometimes even within clutches.

Clutch Size

2-6 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless and naked, with eyes closed. Bill yellow; mouth has pink corners and lining.

Conservation Status

In general, the Savannah Sparrow has probably expanded its range and thrived because of human-induced changes to the landscape. Coastal subspecies and other populations with narrow ranges may warrant special management priority because of their genetic distinctiveness and their limited habitats.

Other Names

Bruant des prés (French)
Gorrión zanjero, Sabanero (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Wheelwright, N. H., and J. D. Rising. 1993. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis). In The Birds of North America, No. 45 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.