Geography/Habitat:

The LeConte’s Sparrow, (Ammospiza leconteii or Ammodramus leconteii) was first described by Audubon in 1844 although known since 1790. It is considered part of a clade with Seaside, Nelsons and Saltmarsh Sparrow and is monotypic.

LeConte’s sparrows breed across Central and Eastern Canada and down into the Northern and Central US. They Winter along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida in the Carolinas and up into Kansas and Arkansas.

Typical habitat preferred is moist to wet grasslands and marshlands.

They breed from May to August often in very loose colonies. The nest is usually on or close to the ground and lay 4-6 eggs in a cup of dried twigs and grass. The eggs are incubated by the female for 11-13 days and the chicks are fed by both parents. They are monogamous. Note that LeConte’s sparrows are a favored target of Brown Headed Cowbirds who often lay their eggs in LeConte’s nests.

Food supply is primarily insectivorous especially in the breeding season, but they will eat grass seeds. Foraging for food is on or close to the ground and they will form forging flocks in the Winter

Identification

A long tailed, small sparrow with a distinctive yellow-ochre face. Its lores and auricular feathers are light gray with a black stripe above the eye with a white medial stripe and small gray bill. The breast is yellow with small dark streaks, and the underparts are white. The nape is purplish and the back and wings brownish black. Note the distinctive white edge tertial feathers on the wings. The rump is orangish and it has a rounded tail with spiked retrices.

Fun Facts

• Nests are difficult to find the first being found over 100 years after description.
• LeConte’s Sparrow rarely flush and will typically run and hide rather than fly
• A group of sparrows is known as a crew, a flutter a meinie, a quarrel or a ubiquity