Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 4.3–5.1 in
11–13 cm - Wingspan
- 7.9 in
20 cm - Weight
- 0.7–0.7 oz
19–21 g
Other Names
- Sharp-tailed Sparrow (in part)
- Bruant de Nelson (French)
Cool Facts
- The Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow formerly was considered the same species as the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow, collectively known as the Sharp-tailed Sparrow. The two forms have separate breeding ranges that barely overlap in Maine. They differ in genetics, songs, and subtle plumage characters.
Habitat
Marsh
Freshwater marshes and wet meadows in interior and brackish marshes along coast; in winter in salt and brackish marshes.
Food
Insects
Insects, spiders, snails, and seeds.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 2–6 eggs
- Egg Description
- Greenish, covered with dark speckles.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless.
Nest Description
Open cup of grass stems and blades, lined with finer grass blades and sometimes built up on sides to form partial covering.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Forages on ground in dense grass or edges of shallow pools.
Conservation
Least Concern
Common.
Credits
- Greenlaw, J. S. and J. D. Rising. 1994. Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus ). In The Birds of North America, No. 112 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists' Union.