Seaside Sparrow (SESP)
Ammospiza maritima
Range
A testament to its name, this bird can be found in seaside areas all along the East Coast. It can be found as far north as New Hampshire in its breeding season. This bird will occupy seaside marshes between North Carolina and Louisiana year-round.
Additional Maps
Identification
The Seaside Sparrow is a small bird, measuring between 13 to 14 cm in length. These birds are not very colorful, with mostly pale brown and gray along the body and wings and a small pop of yellow around the eyes. Juveniles are buffier than the adults with a more muted yellow around the eyes, but the same brown and gray seen on the adults. This sparrow has a buzzy high-pitched call that includes several clicking notes before the main throaty buzz.
Habitat
The Seaside Sparrow occupies tidal marshes along the East Coast of the U.S. It is common to find this bird in patches of large coastal grasses, but they will not always be present in these locations. This species prefers one continuous habitat, which means the bird does not have to move between several locations to nest and feed in separate areas. These birds will nest above the highest high tide line, so it is important for plants higher than the water line. Tidal inlets also provide a good habitat for the Seaside Sparrow with most of the features that were mentioned above.
During the winter period, the Seaside Sparrow tends to move south where the temperature is consistently warmer year-round, but this bird is known to move more between feeding and nesting sites in winter than in summer. The winter months are also some of the most important in determining where this bird will live since it is more likely to prefer an area with year-round warmer weather than one that is not suitable for some of the year.
Conservation Status
- Listed as Least Concern by Bird Life International
- Listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List
- Listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the 2015 Massachusetts Wildlife Action Plan (pg 244)
- Listed as Bird Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the 2015-2025 Maryland State Wildlife Action Plan (pg 43)
- Listed as Special Concern by NYSDEC
- Listed as having Continental Concern by Partners in Flight
Threats to Conservation
The main threat to the conservation of the Seaside Sparrow is habitat loss. Wetland and marsh loss across the United States is what poses the greatest threat to this bird since they are limited to acceptable habitats and express strict habitat selection. Wetlands across the United States are protected by federal and state regulations. These regulations enforce the relocation and preservation of wetlands by land area.
Funding Opportunities
- EPA Great Lakes Funding Opportunities
- Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative Small Grant Program
- National Wildlife Federation Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program
- NFWF National Coastal Resilience Fund
- NOAA Office For Coastal Management: Funding Opportunities
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants