North American field guide
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
Also known as:Ipswich Sparrow
Identification
Field notes
14 cm (5-6") Common. Throughout North America in large fields with short or sparse grass, marshes.
Short notched tail. Light eyebrow and dark whisker stripes. Pink legs and feet. Some are quite dark with extensive side and breast streaking, sometimes with a central spot. Some are light with faint streaking. Pale form known as "Ipswich Sparrow" and breeds on Sable Island, Nova Scotia.
Song: "slip, slip, slip it in easy"; distinctive "seep" flight call.
Watch and learn
Videos
Savannah Sparrow Portrait
Credit: Larry Bond"Belding's" Savannah Sparrow
Credit: Don DesJardinWhere it lives
Distribution maps
Source legend · original intervals
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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence
Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant · 1 rule
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
Savannah Sparrow
1 ruleRule 1 10 criteria · confidence 6
- What SHAPE was the TAIL ?
- Square or slightly notched at the end · Unknown
- Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?
- Yes · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?
- Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
- What were the EYE markings if any ?
- Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · Unknown
- Was the HEAD striped ?
- Yes · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Sparrow-like