Species
Lincoln's sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
A finely streaked, buff-washed sparrow of wet thickets, a shy migrant through Georgia.
Photo Rhododendrites (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 13 to 15 cm long
- Weight
- About 15 to 20 g
- Habitat
- Wet thickets and shrubby edges on migration
- Diet
- Seeds and insects
- In Georgia
- An uncommon migrant and winter visitor
- Voice
- A rich, bubbly song
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Fine streaks on a buff breast; grey face; narrow eye-ring
- Told apart from
- Song sparrow, which has heavier streaks and no buff wash
- Where to look
- Wet thickets and brushy edges in autumn
Behaviour
Lincoln's sparrows are secretive and stay in dense cover.
Why they matter
Lincoln's sparrows breed in northern bogs and mountain meadows. Their shy habits make them easy to overlook.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Nest — A cup on the ground in wet meadows
Eggs — Usually four or five
Incubation — About 12 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — A few years
Living around people
- Wet thickets are important stopovers.
Misconceptions
- Named after President Lincoln. It was named by Audubon for Thomas Lincoln, a young companion on a Labrador expedition.
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 | A few wintering | A few wintering | A few wintering | Migrating north | Nesting in the north | Nesting | Nesting | Present in the north | Migrating | Migrants in Georgia | A few wintering | A few wintering |
Where it lives
Recorded in 90 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
- Alabamain winter
- Alaskabreeding
- Arizonain winter
- Arkansasin winter
- Californiain winter
- Coloradobreeding
- Connecticutpassing through
- Delawarepassing through
- District of Columbiain winter
- Georgiain winter
- Idaho
- Illinoispassing through
- Indianapassing through
- Iowapassing through
- Kansaspassing through
- Kentuckypassing through
- Louisianain winter
- Mainebreeding
- Marylandin winter
- Massachusettspassing through
- Michiganbreeding
- Minnesotabreeding
- Mississippiin winter
- Missouripassing through
- Montanabreeding
- Nebraskapassing through
- Nevada
- New Hampshirebreeding
- New Jerseypassing through
- New Mexicoin winter
- New Yorkbreeding
- North Carolinain winter
- North Dakotapassing through
- Ohiopassing through
- Oklahomain winter
- Oregonin winter
- Pennsylvaniapassing through
- Rhode Islandpassing through
- South Dakotapassing through
- Tennesseepassing through
- Texasin winter
- Utahbreeding
- Vermontbreeding
- Virginiain winter
- Washingtonin winter
- West Virginiapassing through
- Wisconsinbreeding
- Wyomingbreeding
Canada
Mexico
- Aguascalientesin winter
- Baja Californiain winter
- Baja California Surin winter
- Chiapasin winter
- Chihuahuain winter
- Coahuilain winter
- Colimain winter
- Durangoin winter
- Guanajuatoin winter
- Guerreroin winter
- Hidalgoin winter
- Jaliscoin winter
- Mexico Cityin winter
- Michoacanin winter
- Morelosin winter
- Nayaritin winter
- Nuevo Leonin winter
- Oaxacain winter
- Pueblain winter
- Queretaroin winter
- San Luis Potosiin winter
- Sinaloain winter
- Sonorain winter
- State of Mexicoin winter
- Tabascopassing through
- Tamaulipasin winter
- Tlaxcalain winter
- Veracruzin winter
- Zacatecasin winter
If you found one
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