- Centronyx henslowii
Ammodramus henslowii
Identification
12·1–13·3 cm (4¾-5¼ inches)
- Large, conical bill
- Large, flat head
- Short tail
- Olive face
- Buff streaked breast and sides
- White belly and undertail coverts
- Narrow, whitish crown stripe
- Rusty wing coverts
- Dark and light streaking on back
The sexes are similar
Juvenile plumage similar to adult but has fine streaks confined to sides of breast.
Distribution
Summer range is central to northern states of the eastern United States. Winters in the southern states from Texas to Florida except on the panhandle. Uncommon, local, and declining in populations.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
This is a polytypic species, consisting of two subspecies[1]:
- C. h. susurrans:
- New York to southern New Hampshire, eastern West Virginia and eastern North Carolina; winters to central Florida
- C. h. henslowii:
Habitat
Found in neglected open fields with tall herbaceous vegetation but without much woody growth.
Behaviour
Secretive - often seen only on short flights to cover.
Diet
Their summer diet consists almost entirely of insects, particularly grasshoppers and beetles. In winter, they mainly eat seeds.
Vocalisation
The song is a flat, odd little noise - hslick
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- DiscoverLife
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Henslow's Sparrow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Henslow%27s_Sparrow
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
