Species

Lark sparrow

Chondestes grammacus

A boldly patterned sparrow with a harlequin face, a rare visitor to Georgia's open country.

Photo Sean Frey (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size: About 15 to 17 cm long
Weight: About 24 to 33 g
Habitat: Open country with bare ground and scattered shrubs
Diet: Seeds and insects
In Georgia: A rare migrant and winter visitor
Voice: A long, varied song of trills and buzzes
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Bold chestnut, black and white face pattern; clean breast with a central spot; long tail with white corners
Told apart from: Other sparrows, none of which share the face pattern
Where to look: Bare, weedy fields, especially near the coast in autumn

Behaviour

Lark sparrows feed on bare ground and sing from perches. Males display by strutting with spread tails.

Why they matter

Lark sparrows are birds of the prairies and open West, and their occasional visits to Georgia are a reminder of the connections between the continent's open landscapes.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A cup on the ground or in a shrub
Eggs — Usually three to five
Incubation — About 11 to 12 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Bare, weedy field edges give them places to feed.

Misconceptions

All sparrows are drab. The lark sparrow's face is as bold as any bird's.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Rare	Rare	Rare	Nesting farther west	Nesting	Nesting	Young fledging	Migrants	Rare migrants in Georgia	Rare migrants	Rare	Rare

Where it lives

Recorded in 68 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

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