Swamp Sparrow

Melospiza georgiana (Latham, 1790)

Swamp Sparrow, Melospiza georgiana, breeds in north-central and north-eastern North America and moves to north-eastern Mexico outside the breeding season. It is a passerine in the New World sparrow family, first described by Latham in 1790. This marsh bird is tied to wetland habitat, including brackish marshes, and its nest is placed in marsh vegetation, often close to the ground or water with cover arching above. Adults show streaked upperparts, an unstreaked grey breast, a pale belly and a white throat, with some males and a few females carrying a rust-coloured crown.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Passerellidae — New World Sparrows

Breeding range

North America: nc, ne

Nonbreeding range

to ne Mexico