5.75 inches long. The Swamp Sparrow is a medium-sized sparrow. The back is rusty brown and streaked with black. The throat is whitish with a dark moustache. The gray breast contrasts with the white throat. The flanks are rusty. The face is gray with a gray eyebrow. The rusty crown is solid in the summer and streaked in the winter. A black streak extends behind the eye. The wings are rusty with no wing bars. The tail is rusty, thin, and rounded. In winter the face is generally browner. Also in winter the breast has indistinct streaks that may seem to concentrate in a faint central spot.
The Swamp Sparrow is a somewhat common migrant through the area. It may be seen from March through early May and again in late September through early November.
The Swamp Sparrow is aptly named as it is seldom found far from marsh edges or pond edges. It is adept at foraging in and at the edge of water. It makes a nest just above the ground or the surface of water and is subject to nest failure from flooding. During winter and migration it also uses weedy areas. The song is a slow, musical “chinga, chinga, chinga”.
Disclaimer: The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Phil Swanson.