Seaside Sparrow

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Seaside Sparrow

Male Dusky Seaside Sparrow
(Ammodramus maritimus nigrescens)
Extinct since June 17, 1987

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Subclass:	Neornithes
Infraclass:	Neognathae
Superorder:	Neoaves
Order:	Passeriformes
Suborder:	Passeri
Infraorder:	Passerida
Superfamily:	Passeroidea
Family:	Emberizidae
Genus:	Ammodramus
Species:	A. maritimus

Binomial name

Ammodramus maritimus
(Wilson, 1811)

The Seaside Sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus, is a small American sparrow. The 11 Ammodramus species inhabit marshes and grasslands.

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 marshes 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 invertebrates 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.

[edit] References

BirdLife International (2004). Ammodramus maritimus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is of least concern.