Sparrows

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

A small, streaky grassland sparrow with a yellowish eyebrow stripe and a short, notched tail. Its thin, buzzy song is a characteristic sound of open fields and meadows.

Current regional viewing notes

Open grassy areas, meadows, and airstrip margins near Hoonah; also found on coastal grasslands.

Dataset note: This legacy field can be specific to Southeast Alaska/Hoonah and is not a complete statewide range statement.

Habitat

Open grasslands, meadows, tundra edges, and agricultural fields.

Diet

Insects during summer; seeds and plant material during other seasons.

Natural history note

The Savannah Sparrow's scientific name, sandwichensis, refers to Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands (formerly called Sandwich Land), where the species was first described.