Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 4.3–4.7 in
11–12 cm - Weight
- 0.5–0.7 oz
14–20 g
Other Names
- Bruant sauterelle (French)
- Gorrion chapulin, Gorrion chicharra (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Twelve subspecies of Grasshopper Sparrow are recognized. Four breed in North America, four are resident in Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and Ecuador, and four are resident in the Caribbean.
- Grasshopper Sparrow parents prepare grasshoppers to feed to the nestlings by shaking off each pair of legs in turn.
Habitat
Grassland
Open grasslands and prairies with patches of bare ground.
Food
Insects
Mostly insects, especially grasshoppers.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–6 eggs
- Egg Description
- White with light reddish brown speckles.
- Condition at Hatching
- Eyes closed, covered with grayish-brown down.
Nest Description
Cup of grass stems and blades, very well concealed on the ground. Usually has a dome made of overhanging grasses, with a side entrance.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Forages on the ground, locating prey by sight on bare ground. Paralyzes grasshopper by pinching its thorax.
Conservation
Least Concern
Declining throughout range from habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation.
Credits
- Vickery, P. D. 1996. Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum). In The Birds of North America, No. 239 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and the American Ornithologists Union, Washington, D.C.