Grasshopper Sparrow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Grasshopper Sparrow | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||||
| Conservation status | ||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Ammodramus savannarum (Gmelin, 1789) |
||||||||||||||
| Synonyms | ||||||||||||||
|
Coturniculus savannarum |
The Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum, is a small sparrow. The Ammodramus genus of 11 species inhabit grasslands and marshes.
Adults have upperparts streaked with brown, grey, black and white; they have a light brown breast, a white belly and a short brown tail. Their face is light brown with an eye ring and a dark brown crown with a central narrow light stripe. There are regional variations in the appearance of this bird.
Their breeding habitat is open fields and prairie across southern Canada and the United States. The nest is a well-concealed open cup on the ground under vegetation.
These birds migrate to the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
They forage on the ground in vegetation, mainly eating insects, especially grasshoppers, and seeds.
This bird's song is a buzz resembling the sound made by a grasshopper. Like many grassland birds, this bird's numbers have declined across many parts of its range, including a 98% drop in New York State.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Ammodramus savannarum. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 5 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
[edit] External links
- Grasshopper Sparrow Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Grasshopper Sparrow Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Grasshopper Sparrow - Ammodramus savannarum - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Grasshopper Sparrow photo gallery VIREO
