Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii (Audubon, 1834)
13–15 cmLength17 gWeight
Lincoln's sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) is a small sparrow native to North America.
Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
Lincoln's Sparrow has been recorded at 841 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 13 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Sweetwater WetlandsUnited States10,613 records
- Estero Llano Grande SP WBCUnited States8,066 records
- Magee Marsh – BoardwalkUnited States7,559 records
More places
- Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Lincoln Park, ChicagoUnited States7,466 records
- Paton Center for HummingbirdsUnited States6,438 records
- Point Pelee National ParkCanada6,190 records
- South Padre Is. – WBC/Conv. Center/Laguna Madre TrailUnited States5,648 records
- Hornsby BendUnited States5,029 records
- Warbler Woods Bird SanctuaryUnited States4,919 records
- Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)United States4,526 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
Lincoln's sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) is a small sparrow native to North America. It is a less common passerine bird that often stays hidden under thick ground cover, but can be distinguished by its sweet, wrenlike song. Lincoln's sparrow is one of three species in the genus Melospiza which also includes the song sparrow (M. melodia) and the swamp sparrow (M. georgiana).
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Lincoln's Sparrow?
The Lincoln's Sparrow is about 13–15 cm long and weighs around 17 g.
Where does the Lincoln's Sparrow live?
Its breeding range: North America: western, northern. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.
When is the best time to see the Lincoln's Sparrow?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Lincoln's Sparrow endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Lincoln's Sparrow as Least Concern.
What does the Lincoln's Sparrow eat?
Main food: Omnivore.
What family is the Lincoln's Sparrow in?
It belongs to the family New World Sparrows (Passerellidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 13–15 cm
- Weight
- 17 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifestyle
- Varied
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 64 mm
- Tail
- 57 mm
- Bill
- 13 mm
- Tarsus
- 20 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America: western, northern
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- New World Sparrows Passerellidae
- Genus
- Melospiza
Other birds in the genus Melospiza
Song SparrowMelospiza melodia
Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgiana
Tanager FinchOreothraupis arremonops
Yellow-throated ChlorospingusChlorospingus flavigularis
Yellow-whiskered ChlorospingusChlorospingus parvirostris
Ashy-throated ChlorospingusChlorospingus canigularis
Sooty-capped ChlorospingusChlorospingus pileatus
Common ChlorospingusChlorospingus flavopectus
Tacarcuna ChlorospingusChlorospingus tacarcunae
Pirre ChlorospingusChlorospingus inornatus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Kelly Colgan Azar. ↗
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