Saltmarsh Sparrows are brown and gray with streaking over the breasts and down their sides, and they have distinctive orangy faces.
- Ammospiza caudacuta
- Length: 4.7-5.1 in (12-13 cm)
- Weight: 0.6-0.8 oz (17.1-24.1 g)
- Wingspan: 6.5-7.7 in (16.5-19.5 cm)
Range
Saltmarsh Sparrows can be found along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Those in the northeast migrate to southeastern coastal areas.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Saltmarsh Sparrows in saltwater tidal wetlands foraging for insects mainly on the ground and in the mud. They eat many types of insects such as beetles, butterflies, grasshoppers, and flies in summer, and in winter, they will also eat some seeds.
Saltmarsh Sparrow Song:
Nests
Nests of Saltmarsh Sparrows are made by females from grasses and reeds and often placed on a bed of cordgrass and held in place by the surrounding plants. They may also build a dome over the nest to protect and hide it.
Females lay up to six eggs, taking around twelve days to hatch and an additional ten days for the young to leave the nest.
Fun Fact:
Saltmarsh Sparrow nests are often submerged by the highest tides, which causes males to be promiscuous and non-territorial, so they can quickly breed again if the nest fails.
