Montana Field Guide

Grasshopper Sparrow - Ammodramus savannarum

A chunky sparrow with a short narrow tail, flat head, buffy breast and sides (adults usually without obvious streaking), dark crown with a pale central stripe, narrow white eye ring, and (in most adults) a yellow-orange spot in front of the eye; juveniles have pale buff breast and sides, streaked with brown; average length 13 cm (NGS 1983).

Grasshopper Sparrows differ from many other sparrows by having both an unstreaked buffy breast (adults) and a short tail. They differ from Le Conte's Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii) by lacking a buffy-orange eyebrow and blue-gray ear patch. Adults differ from juvenile Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii) by lacking a yellowish-olive central stripe on the crown. Juveniles lack the olive and russet tones of the otherwise similar adult Henslow's Sparrow.

Montana Range

Prefers open prairies with intermittent brush, although not particular to heavy brush cover.

In summer, diet consists of insects and grasshoppers. During winter, diet consists of grasses and seeds.

Double brooded species with 4-5 eggs per brood. Incubation period 11-12 days. Young able to fly nine days after hatch.