Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow

Ammodramus nelsoniOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Codes: Common Name: NSTS Scientific Name: AMMNEL ITIS Taxonomic No.: 554031

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow: Small sparrow with brown streaked upperparts. Breast and sides are pale brown with pale streaks; throat, belly, and undertail coverts are white. Head has gray-brown crown and nape, orange-brown face, and gray cheeks. Tail is short and pointed. Pink-gray legs and feet.

● Song: "p-tssssshh-uk"

● Foraging & Feeding: Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow: Feeds mainly on insects, aquatic invertebrates, and seeds. Forages on the ground or in marsh vegetation; sometimes probes mud.

● Breeding & nesting: Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow: Three to seven light green eggs with heavy brown spots are laid in an open cup nest made of dry grass and stems, and attached to vegetation close to the ground. Eggs are incubated for 11 days by the female.

● Similar species: Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow: Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow has a white throat separated from orange-brown face by a dark streak and heavier streaked breast.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow: Breeds from northern Illinois northward to Dakota and Manitoba; occurs as a migrant on the Atlantic coast, and winters from South Carolina to Texas. Inhabits salt marshes.

^BreedingPolygamous, Loose colonies

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.5 - 0.6 Ounces

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America