Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 4.3–5.1 in
11–13 cm - Weight
- 0.5–0.7 oz
14–19 g
Other Names
- Sharp-tailed Sparrow (in part) (English)
- Bruant [Pinson] à queue aiguë (French)
Cool Facts
- The Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow is nonterritorial and promiscuous, and only females provide parental care. Males occupy large overlapping home ranges, and the mating relationship features forced copulations by males.
- Breeding success in many Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow populations seems limited by storms and especially “spring†(high) tides, which often flood nests. The most successful pairs in these populations are those that renest soon after the flood tides of the new moon.
- The Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow formerly was considered as the same species as the Nelson's 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
Salt marshes.
Food
Insects
Insects, spiders, marine invertebrates, and some 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
Vulnerable
Common, but some populations affected by development.
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.