Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow

Overview

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.

Range and 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.

INTERESTING FACTS

Prior to 1995, Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow were considered the same species, the Sharp-tailed Sparrow.
They are difficult to census due to their secretive nature and unpredictable singing patterns.
They do not respond to spishing and may run along the ground instead of fly when disturbed.
This bird was named after Edward William Nelson, an American naturalist.
A group of sparrows has many collective nouns, including a "crew", "flutter", "meinie", "quarrel", and "ubiquity" of sparrows.

The Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow has a large range, estimated globally at 1,300,000 square kilometers. Native to the nations of North America, this bird prefers inland wetland or intertidal marine ecosystems. The global population of this bird is estimated at 510,000 individuals and does not show signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow is Least Concern.