Species
LeConte's sparrow
Ammospiza leconteii
A tiny, buff-orange sparrow that hides in damp grassy fields in winter, rarely seen.
Photo Matt Felperin (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 11 to 13 cm long
- Weight
- About 12 to 17 g
- Habitat
- Damp grassy fields and marsh edges in winter
- Diet
- Seeds and insects
- In Georgia
- An uncommon winter visitor
- Voice
- A thin, insect-like buzz
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Bright buff-orange face and breast; grey cheek; streaked sides
- Told apart from
- Nelson's sparrow, which lives in salt marsh
- Where to look
- Damp, grassy fields in winter; difficult to see
Behaviour
LeConte's sparrows stay hidden low in grass and run rather than fly when disturbed.
Why they matter
LeConte's sparrows breed in northern wet meadows and winter in the Southeast. Their secretive habits make them one of the least known North American sparrows.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Nest — A cup on or near the ground in wet meadows
Eggs — Usually three to five
Incubation — About 12 to 13 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — A few years
Living around people
- Damp grassy fields left unmown in winter give them cover.
Misconceptions
- Unseen birds are rare birds. LeConte's sparrows are simply good at hiding.
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.
| 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 | Wintering | Wintering | Wintering | Leaving | Nesting in the north | Nesting | Nesting | Present in the north | Migrating | Arriving | Wintering | Wintering |
Where it lives
Recorded in 29 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
- Alabamain winter
- Arkansasin winter
- Georgiain winter
- Illinoisin winter
- Indianain winter
- Iowapassing through
- Kansasin winter
- Kentuckyin winter
- Louisianain winter
- Michiganbreeding
- Minnesotabreeding
- Mississippiin winter
- Missouriin winter
- Montanabreeding
- Nebraskapassing through
- North Dakotabreeding
- Oklahomain winter
- South Dakotabreeding
- Tennesseein winter
- Texasin winter
- Wisconsinbreeding
If you found one
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