For most birders, the task of identifying
Sparrows is daunting and challenging! However, only a
small handful of sparrows are typically found in grassy marshes. The
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow is a common summer breeding bird in Massachusetts. This sparrow is mostly found in coastal salt marsh habitats. The images below are from a recent trip to
South Beach in Chatham. Saltmarsh Sparrows are known to be quite secretive as they forage in the marsh for food. Their song is made up of a series of
sweet, soft gurgling notes.
According to The Sibley Field Guide for Eastern North America, the Saltmarsh (Sharp-tailed) Sparrow is “a rather long-billed sparrow with a bright orange triangle on its face, usually distinct dark streaks
on its breast, relatively dark gray-brown back with white stripes, and gray crown.” The Mass Audubon Breeding Bird Atlas mentions that “most migrant Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows arrive during the last week in May. Nesting starts almost immediately in the wide, flat swales of the soft green Salt-hay. They tend to form loose colonies with little or no courtship behavior prior to nesting. The nests are neat, cup-shaped structures placed on the ground or tucked under tufts of grass.”
This sparrow is a "species of conservation concern" for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well for a number of
coastal states. The Saltmarsh Sparrow's limited range and shrinking habitat concern conservationists. A National Audubon report states that “on top of habitat losses caused by commercial development, the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow is impacted by toxic environments and the invasion of exotic plant species. Extensive, healthy marshlands dominated by grasses are essential for the Saltmarsh Sparrow. The Mass. Audubon online Cape Cod Weekly Bird Sightings recently reported 11 horned larks, 300 tree swallows, and 18 saltmarsh sparrows at South Beach in Chatham.
Enjoy,
Craig Gibson
Woods Hole
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