Lincoln's Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow, Half Moon Bay, CA, 9 Dec 2005. Note the crown pattern, buffy malar and buff colored chest with fine streaking below.

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

A drab, but handsome bird of boggy areas, the Lincoln's Sparrow is best identified by the fine streaks on its buffy chest.

Description

• Small songbird.
• Brown or grayish-brown overall.
• Streaking on back, breast, and flanks.
• Streaking on chest in band of creamy buff.
• No spot in center of chest.

• Size: 13-15 cm (5-6 in)
• Weight: 17-19 g (0.6-0.67 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Sound

Song rich, warbling, jumble, with high-pitched introductory notes, followed by a short, complex phrase started at a low pitch, then bursting into higher pitches. Calls a high-pitched "zeet" and a lower-pitched "chip."

Conservation Status

Most populations increasing slightly.

Other Names

Bruant de Lincoln (French)
Sabanero de Lincoln, Gorriòn de Lincoln (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Lincoln's Sparrow shows less geographical variation in song than any other species in its genus, perhaps a result of high dispersal rates among juveniles.

Sources used to construct this page:

Ammon, E. M. 1995. Lincoln?s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii). In The Birds of North America, No. 191 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists? Union, Washington, D.C.