Ammodramus savannarum

Description

This is a small sparrow with a short, sharp tail. It has a flat head, a crown with a pale stripe, and the back is striped with chestnut and black.

Voice

The grasshopper sparrow has two songs. The first is two fain introductory notes with a thin dry buzz pi-tup zeeeeeeeeeeeeee. The second is a thin tumble of nosies.

Habitat

They are found in prairies, pastures, and hayfields. This is a very secretive bird.

Diet

Grasshopper sparrows eat insects, fruit, and seeds.

Range

They are found in the eastern United States over to Texas and up to Montana and even go into Washington. There is an isolated population in southern Idaho and in southern California.

Other Useful Information

There are 12 recognized subspecies of grasshopper sparrows. Four breed in North America, four are permanent residents in Mexico, Central America, Ecuador, and Columbia, and the remaining four are residents in the Caribbean.

Similar Species

Le Conte’s sparrow, Henslow’s sparrow, Nelson’s sharp-tailed sparrow, Savannah sparrow, and Baird’s sparrow.