Nelson's Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Nelson's Sparrow

Ammospiza nelsoni (Allen, JA, 1875)

11–13 cmLength15 gWeight

Busiest months: October · Most records: United States, Canada

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October · Most records: United States, Canada

Nelson's Sparrow has been recorded at 272 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Scarborough Marsh – Eastern TrailUnited States2,301 records
  2. Longridge PointCanada1,688 records
  3. Little Piskwamish PointCanada935 records
More places
  1. Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Lincoln Park, ChicagoUnited States848 records
  2. Plumb BeachUnited States659 records
  3. La PocatièreCanada649 records
  4. Cape Sable Island – Daniel's HeadCanada624 records
  5. RNF du Cap-TourmenteCanada565 records
  6. Sandy HookUnited States509 records
  7. Bolivar Flats Shorebird SanctuaryUnited States499 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesCanada

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Nelson's Sparrow?

The Nelson's Sparrow is about 11–13 cm long and weighs around 15 g.

Where does the Nelson's Sparrow live?

Its breeding range: North America: Canada and northern USA. It is most often recorded in United States and Canada.

When is the best time to see the Nelson's Sparrow?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Nelson's Sparrow endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Nelson's Sparrow as Least Concern.

What does the Nelson's Sparrow eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Nelson's Sparrow in?

It belongs to the family New World Sparrows (Passerellidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
11–13 cm
Weight
15 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
56 mm
Tail
48 mm
Bill
14 mm
Tarsus
22 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: Canada and northern USA

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
New World Sparrows Passerellidae
Genus
Ammospiza

Other birds in the genus Ammospiza

LeConte's SparrowLeConte's SparrowAmmospiza leconteiiSeaside SparrowSeaside SparrowAmmospiza maritimaSaltmarsh SparrowSaltmarsh SparrowAmmospiza caudacutaTanager FinchTanager FinchOreothraupis arremonopsYellow-throated ChlorospingusYellow-throated ChlorospingusChlorospingus flavigularisYellow-whiskered ChlorospingusYellow-whiskered ChlorospingusChlorospingus parvirostrisAshy-throated ChlorospingusAshy-throated ChlorospingusChlorospingus canigularisSooty-capped ChlorospingusSooty-capped ChlorospingusChlorospingus pileatusCommon ChlorospingusCommon ChlorospingusChlorospingus flavopectusTacarcuna ChlorospingusTacarcuna ChlorospingusChlorospingus tacarcunae
Nelson's Sparrow

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Bill Bouton. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages