A medium sparrow restricted to coastal salt marshes. Multiple subspecies; the dusky seaside sparrow extinct since 1987.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The seaside sparrow is a species of American sparrow.
Source: Wikipedia — Seaside sparrow Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Dark olive-gray overall, long-billed and flat-headed, with a yellow spot before the eye and a white throat. Heavier-built than other marsh sparrows.
Similar species. Saltmarsh and Nelson's sparrows are smaller, paler, and more orange-faced; Seaside is the dark, large-billed marsh sparrow.
Voice. A buzzy, wheezy 'cutcut-zheeeee' suggesting a distant Red-winged Blackbird.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Seeds (primary), insects (especially during breeding).
Behavior. A dark sparrow confined to tidal salt marshes, where it forages on mudflats and creek edges, often probing like a small rail. The extinct 'Dusky' was a Florida subspecies.
§ Range
Atlantic and Gulf coasts
§ Habitat
Salt marshes
§ Threats
Coastal habitat loss, sea-level rise.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the seaside sparrow is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support coastal preserves. Donate to coastal Audubon chapters.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Seaside sparrow
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Ammospiza maritima
- IUCN Red List — search for Ammospiza maritima
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Ammospiza maritima
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
