Seaside Sparrow
Encyclopedia
The Seaside Sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus, is a small American sparrow
. The 11 Ammodramus species inhabit marsh
es and grassland
s.
Adults have brownish upperparts with grey on the crown and nape, and a grayish buff colored breast with dark streaks; they have a dark face with grey cheeks, a white throat, and a short pointed tail. Birds show a small yellow streak just above the eye.
Their breeding habitat is salt marsh
es on the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts of the United States
from southern New Hampshire
to southern Texas
. The nest is an open cup usually built in the salt marsh on tidal reeds and spartina grasses. Females lay 2-5 eggs.
Northern birds most often migrate
further south along the eastern coast of the United States.
They forage on the ground or in marsh vegetation, sometimes probing in mud. They mainly eat insects, marine invertebrate
s and seeds. Their feeding areas are often some distance away from the areas they choose to nest.
One of the numerous subspecies of this bird, the Dusky Seaside Sparrow
(A. m. nigrescens), has recently become extinct, and the Cape Sable subspecies
, A. m. mirabilis, is endangered. Occurring in a restricted range but of uncertain validity is Scott's Seaside Sparrow
, (A. m. peninsulae). Those were formerly considered a separate species.
The call closely resembles a raspy buzz, similar to a distant Red-winged Blackbird
.
American sparrow
American sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming part of the family Emberizidae. American sparrows are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns....
. The 11 Ammodramus species inhabit marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es and grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s.
Adults have brownish upperparts with grey on the crown and nape, and a grayish buff colored breast with dark streaks; they have a dark face with grey cheeks, a white throat, and a short pointed tail. Birds show a small yellow streak just above the eye.
Their breeding habitat is salt marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es on the Atlantic and Gulf
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
coasts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from southern New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
to southern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The nest is an open cup usually built in the salt marsh on tidal reeds and spartina grasses. Females lay 2-5 eggs.
Northern birds most often migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
further south along the eastern coast of the United States.
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s and seeds. Their feeding areas are often some distance away from the areas they choose to nest.
One of the numerous subspecies of this bird, the Dusky Seaside Sparrow
Dusky Seaside Sparrow
The Dusky Seaside Sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus nigrescens, was a non-migratory subspecies of the Seaside Sparrow, found in Southern Florida in the natural salt marshes of Merritt Island and along the St. Johns River...
(A. m. nigrescens), has recently become extinct, and the Cape Sable subspecies
Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow
The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow is a sub-species of Seaside Sparrow endemic to southern Florida. The largest populations are found in Taylor Slough in Everglade National Park and in the Big Cypress Swamp...
, A. m. mirabilis, is endangered. Occurring in a restricted range but of uncertain validity is Scott's Seaside Sparrow
Scott's Seaside Sparrow
Scott's Seaside Sparrow is a subspecies of the Seaside Sparrow. It can be found along the Gulf of Mexico coast of northwestern Florida, where it breeds from Pasco County to Apalachee Bay and in the swamplands of St. George and St. Vincent islands. It was originally thought to be a separate species...
, (A. m. peninsulae). Those were formerly considered a separate species.
The call closely resembles a raspy buzz, similar to a distant Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
The Red-winged Blackbird is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras, and...
.
External links
- Seaside Sparrow videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Stamps (for United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) with RangeMap - Seaside Sparrow photo gallery VIREO
- Dusky Seaside Sparrow Bird Sound
- Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Bird Sound
- Ecological and Genetic Diversity in the Seaside Sparrow (pdf, 0,95 Mb)
- Seaside Sparrows (pdf, 48 Kb)