Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow

Ammodramus nelsoni ORDER: PASSERIFORMES FAMILY: EMBERIZIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

A secretive sparrow with a brightly-colored face, the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow breeds along the edges of freshwater marshes and in wet meadows of interior North America, and in salt marshes along the northern Atlantic Coast.

For complete information on this species, visit The Birds of North America Online.

Appearance

Sparrows

Typical Voice

Adult Description

Small, stocky songbird.
Orange-yellow face.
Gray ear patch.
Smudgy streaks on breast and flanks.
Short, rounded tail with pointed tail feathers.

Immature Description

Juvenile orangish all over, with a few black streaks on sides of chest.

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Similar Species

Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow very similar, but has whiter chest with crisp dark streaks on chest and sides.
Seaside Sparrow larger, grayer, less strongly marked, with small yellow patch in front of eyes.
Savannah Sparrow has striped head and notched tail.
Le Conte's Sparrow with white central crown stripe, purplish spots and streaks on nape, and small grayish face patch.

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