Nelson's Sparrow
Encyclopedia
The Nelson's Sparrow is a small sparrow
. Adults have brownish upperparts with grey on the crown and nape, a cream-coloured breast with light or indistinct streaking and a white throat and belly; they have an orange face with grey cheeks and a short pointed tail.
Their breeding habitat is marsh
es on the Atlantic
coast of Canada
and Maine
, central Canada
, (the Canadian Prairies
region and a coastal strip on the south of Hudson Bay
), and the north central United States
. The nest is an open cup attached to vegetation and close to the ground. Males compete for females but do not defend territories; they sometimes help feed the young. Mating is largely promiscuous by both sexes; multiple paternity in a nest is common.
These birds migrate
to the southeastern coast
s of the United States. They forage on the ground or in marsh vegetation, sometimes probing in mud and eat mainly insects, aquatic invertebrate
s and seeds. Their call is a raspy trill, almost a mechanical sound. It may be given in flight during the nesting season
. The sound has been likened to a drop of water hitting a hot fry pan.
This bird was named after Edward William Nelson
, an American
naturalist. Formerly, this bird and the Saltmarsh Sparrow
were considered to be a single species, the Sharp-tailed Sparrow; because of this it was briefly known as Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow.
American sparrow
American sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming part of the family Emberizidae. American sparrows are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns....
. Adults have brownish upperparts with grey on the crown and nape, a cream-coloured breast with light or indistinct streaking and a white throat and belly; they have an orange face with grey cheeks and a short pointed tail.
Their breeding habitat is marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es on the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, central Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, (the Canadian Prairies
Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
region and a coastal strip on the south of Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
), and the north central United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The nest is an open cup attached to vegetation and close to the ground. Males compete for females but do not defend territories; they sometimes help feed the young. Mating is largely promiscuous by both sexes; multiple paternity in a nest is common.
These birds migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
to the southeastern coast
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
s of the United States. They forage on the ground or in marsh vegetation, sometimes probing in mud and eat mainly insects, aquatic invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s and seeds. Their call is a raspy trill, almost a mechanical sound. It may be given in flight during the nesting season
Nesting season
The nesting season is the time of year during which birds and some other animals, particularly some reptiles, build nests, lay eggs in them, and in most cases bring up their young. It is usually in the spring....
. The sound has been likened to a drop of water hitting a hot fry pan.
This bird was named after Edward William Nelson
Edward William Nelson
Edward William Nelson was an American naturalist and ethnologist. He was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. In 1871 together with his family, he became homeless due to the Chicago Fire....
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
naturalist. Formerly, this bird and the Saltmarsh Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sparrow
The Saltmarsh Sparrow, Ammodramus caudacutus, is a small sparrow. At one time, this bird and the Nelson's Sparrow were thought to be a single species, the Sharp-tailed Sparrow...
were considered to be a single species, the Sharp-tailed Sparrow; because of this it was briefly known as Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow.
External links
- Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow Information - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Nelson's Sparrow Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow - Ammodramus nelsoni - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow photos VIREO
- Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Cape Jourimain Nature Centre, New Brunswick