Alternative name: Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
- Ammospiza nelsoni
Ammodramus nelsoni
Identification
L. 5 in
- Large, conical bill
- Flat head
- Short tail
- Orange face and throat
- Grey cheek
- Crown and nape
- Buff breast
- Indistinct streaks on flanks
- White belly and undertail coverts
- Brown wing coverts
Similar Species
Saltmarsh Sparrow - please see references for good thread on identification features
Distribution
Breeds in Canada and the northern United States, wintering to the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
This is a polytypic species[1], Consisting of three subspecies:
- A. n. nelsoni:
- Western North America (southern Canada to northern US; winters to north-western Mexico)
- A. n. altera:
- A. n. subvirgatus:
- Southern Quebec to Nova Scotia and eastern Maine; winters South Carolina to northern Florida
Habitat
Marshes and occasionally fields.
Behaviour
Breeding
Nest is cup-shaped and made of dry grass, lined with finer grasses. It is built on the ground or just above the waterline in marshes. They nest from June through July, sometimes in loose colonies.
Diet
Includes seeds, insects, and small, aquatic invertebrates.
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/
- Birdforum thread discussing identification of Saltmarsh from Nelson's Sparrow
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Nelson's Sparrow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Nelson%27s_Sparrow
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform. 1
