Nelson's Sparrow

The Nelson's Sparrow and the Saltmarsh Sparrow were only recently split into two species, having once been both labeled the "Sharp-tailed Sparrow".  The Nelson's is unusual in several ways.  Their breeding distribution is oddly disjunct, with an interior population in the Northern Plains of the U.S. and south-central Canada, and coastal populations on southern Hudson Bay and in the New England area.  Their breeding behavior is also unusual, in that both sexes are extremely promiscuous and fail to form pairs.  Males will sing their mating song, but will breed with any female that is amenable.  Females raise the young alone, and will also mate with multiple males.

Habitat: During the summer breeding season, they are found in freshwater marshes with abundant marsh grasses.  They are primarily found in saltwater marshes during the winter.

Diet: Most of the summer diet is insects and spiders.  Insects, spiders, marine worms, snails, and other small invertebrates continue to make up much of the diet in the winter along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, but they will also feed on seeds of grasses and marsh plants.

Behavior: Usually forages along or near the ground, picking up food items from the ground, foliage, water, and sometimes probing in mud.  Males will sing both from perches and in flight during the summer breeding season.

Nesting: June and July.  The nest of a Nelson's Sparrow is a cup built of grasses, usually placed on the ground.  The female lays between 3 and 5 eggs, and she alone incubates them.  She also is the only parent to feed the young after the eggs hatch.

Song: A wheezy hissing p-tsssssshhh-uk.

Migration: An unusual summer distribution, with populations in the extreme Northern Plains and south-central Canada, and a disjunct population along the shores of Hudson Bay and in the New England area.  Winters along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Interactive eBird map: Click here to access an interactive eBird map of Nelson's Sparrow sightings

Similar Species: Le Conte's Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sparrow

Conservation Status: They are possibly vulnerable to habitat loss due to draining of wetlands, but populations are currently holding their own.  The IUCN lists the Nelson's Sparrow as a species of "Least Concern".

Further Information: 1) Montana Field Guide - Nelson's Sparrow

2) Cornell's All About Birds - Nelson's Sparrow

3) American Bird Conservancy Watchlist Account - Nelson's Sparrow

Photo Information: September 26th, 2012 - "Bucher Prairie", Minnehaha County, South Dakota - by Terry Sohl

 

Click on the map below for a higher-resolution view

South Dakota Status: Rare migrant in the eastern part of the state, and rare breeder in the northeast.

Additional Nelson's Sparrow Images
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