Nelson’s Sparrow

(Ammospiza nelsoni)

Conservation Status
IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N3B, N5N - Vulnerable Breeding and Secure Nonbreeding

S3B - Vulnerable Breeding

Minnesota

Special Concern

Species in Greatest Conservation Need

 
 
Description

The face, breast, sides, and flank are orangish-buff. The cheek, central crown stripe, and nape of the neck are gray. The chin is light buff. The back is gray with brown stripes. The underparts are finely streaked. The tail is not notched.

 

Size

5 to 6in length

7 wingspan

 

Voice

The song is a series of three insect-like buzzes: long high – short high – long low; entire call lasting less than two seconds. It has been compared to the sound of steam escaping under pressure.

 

The call is a single, insect-like, warbling buzz, lasting about a second.

 

Similar Species

 
Habitat

Sedge meadows, wet prairies, grass or sedge marshes with tall shoreline vegetation

Ecology

Migration

Late August to mid-October

 

Nesting

 

 

Food

Insects, spiders, and other invertebrates in the summer, seeds in the winter.

Distribution

Occurrence

Rare to uncommon migrant, rare breeder

 

Maps

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

Taxonomy

Class

Aves (birds)

Order

Passeriformes (perching birds)

Family

Passerellidae (New World sparrows)

Genus

Ammospiza (marsh sparrows)

   

New World sparrows were traditionally combined with buntings into the family Emberizidae. Recent phylogenetic analysis (Barker et al. 2013) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis (Klicka et al. 2014) found that the Old World buntings should be separated as a sister to New World sparrows. New World sparrows have been separated into a new family, Passerellidae.

This species and Saltmarsh Sparrow were originally thought to be one species, Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus). In 1998, the species was split. The Saltmarsh Sparrow retained its scientific name and this species became Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni). In 2009 the common name was simplified to Nelson’s Sparrow.

   

Subordinate Taxa

Atlantic Nelson’s Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni subvirgatus)

James Bay Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni alter)

Interior Nelson’s Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni nelsoni)

   

Synonyms

Ammodramus nelsoni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Slideshows

Nelson's Sparrow
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

Nelson's Sparrow

"Interior" Nelson's Sparrow
JMC Nature Photos

"Interior" Nelson's Sparrow

 

slideshow

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Other Videos

Nelson's Sparrow (Great Bay Blvd WMA/Tuckerton)
Brian Henderson

About

Published on Oct 20, 2014

Nelson's Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni) at Great Bay Boulevard Wildlife Management Area in Tuckerton, Ocean county, New Jersey. Shot through a spotting scope. Recorded October 18, 2014.

Nelson's Sparrow
WIld Bird Video Productions

About

Uploaded on Jun 11, 2011

Nelsons sparrow singing in a Maine slatmarsh. © 2011 Garth McElroy

License at http://www.paya.com/videos/135210

Nelson's Sparrow singing
Mike Burrell

About

Published on Jun 29, 2013

This male Nelson's Sparrow was singing at the top of a small shrub in a sedge marsh having just arrived during the night.

Nelson's Sparrow with song
Brian Mortimer

About

Published on Aug 17, 2013

This is one of many Nelson's Sparrows that I found in the salt marsh behind Rushton's Beach, Nova Scotia in July 2013.

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Doug Hitchcox

About

Uploaded on Nov 17, 2008

Taken at the Scarborough Marsh (Maine)

 

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