Guide to Boreal Birds
Perching Birds Overview
A bird of the wetlands during the breeding season, the Swamp Sparrow appears in a variety of other habitats during migration and in winter. It is rather shy, but responds readily to any squeaking noise, and can usually be lured into view by a patient observer. It is never seen in large flocks like the White-throated and White-crowned sparrows, but is usually found singly, foraging on the ground in rather dense cover.
Description
5" (13 cm). A chunky dark sparrow with unstreaked underparts, bright rufous cap, and rusty wings; dark brown back and tail; gray face and breast; white throat. White-throated Sparrow has striped crown and whiter throat, and lacks rusty coloration on wings.
Voice
Sweet, musical trill, all on one note.
Nesting
4 or 5 blue-green eggs, with brown blotches, in a grassy cup on the ground, well hidden in dense tussocks or marsh vegetation.
Habitat
Freshwater marshes and open wooded swamps; during migration with other sparrows, weedy fields, parks, and brush piles.
Range/Migration
Breeds from Mackenzie east to Newfoundland, and south to northern Missouri, Ohio, Maryland, and Delaware. Winters north to Nebraska, southern Great Lakes region, and southern New England.