Ammodramus
| Ammodramus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Yellow-browed sparrow | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Emberizidae |
| Genus: | Ammodramus Swainson, 1827 |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Passerherbulus Maynard, 1895 | |
The genus Ammodramus is a group of American sparrows in the family Emberizidae. Ammodramus is Latin for "sand runner," an apt name for these birds which live in thick grass and on the ground.
These birds are relatively small, with large bills, flat heads and short tails. They are usually found in grasslands or marshes and are often fairly inconspicuous. Most of their songs are insect-like. Most species are found in eastern North America, while the grassland and yellow-browed sparrows are found in South America.
Many of these bird species have declined in numbers due to habitat loss.
The full list of species is:
- Seaside sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus
- Dusky seaside sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus nigrescens (extinct, 1987)
- Cape Sable seaside sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis
- Nelson's sparrow, Ammodramus nelsoni
- Saltmarsh sparrow, Ammodramus caudacutus
- Le Conte's sparrow, Ammodramus leconteii
- Henslow's sparrow, Ammodramus henslowii
- Baird's sparrow, Ammodramus bairdii
- Grasshopper sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum
- Grassland sparrow, Ammodramus humeralis
- Yellow-browed sparrow, Ammodramus aurifrons
The fossil Ammodramus hatcheri (Late Miocene of Kansas, United States) was formerly placed in genus Palaeospiza or Palaeostruthus. The former may not be a passeriform at all, while the latter was eventually synonymized with Ammodramus as A. hatcheri scarcely differs from the living species.