Henslow's Sparrow Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A small, squat sparrow with a large, flat head, a large bill, and a short, spiky tail.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Prairie Warbler, smaller than a Song Sparrow.

  sparrow-sized or smaller

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)
    • Weight: 0.4-0.5 oz (11-15 g)
    • Wingspan: 6.3-7.9 in (16-20 cm)

  © Luke Seitz / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Henslow’s Sparrows are tan and buff marked with sharp black streaks. They have a distinctly greenish-olive wash on the cheek, with a yellow spot between eye and bill. The breast has neat black streaks and the belly is whitish.

• Behavior

  Henslow’s Sparrows are extremely secretive, spending much of their time foraging at the bases of grass stalks in dense weedy fields. They prefer to run or walk rather than fly, and when flushed their escape flights are short and erratic.
• Habitat

  Henslow’s Sparrows can be found in weedy hayfields or pastures, wet meadows and, in winter, saltmarshes.

  © Benjamin Clock / Macaulay Library