Ammospiza nelsoni
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
Nelson's sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni) is a small New World sparrow. This bird was named after Edward William Nelson, an American naturalist. Formerly, this bird and the saltmarsh sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta) were considered to be a single species, the sharp-tailed sparrow; because of this it was briefly known as Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow.
Measurements: Length: 4.3–5.1 in (11–13 cm) Weight: 0.6–0.7 oz (17–21 g) Wingspan: 6.5–7.9 in (16.5–20 cm) Adults have brownish upperparts with gray on the crown and nape, a cream-colored breast with light or indistinct streaking and a white throat and belly; they have an orange face with gray cheeks and a short pointed tail.
Their breeding habitat is marshes on the Atlantic coast of Canada and Maine, central Canada, (the Canadian Prairies region and a coastal strip on the south of Hudson Bay), and the north-central United States. These birds migrate to the southeastern coast of the United States. They forage on the ground or in marsh vegetation, sometimes probing in mud and eat mainly insects, aquatic invertebrates and seeds. Their call is a raspy trill, almost a... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow sighting in Acadia National Park on a given day, based on 116 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 146th most-seen of the 243 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow in Acadia National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow sightings, Acadia National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Elk Island National Park (Canada, under 5%) and Riding Mountain National Park (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Passerellidae
The closest relatives of the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow that you can see in Acadia National Park (family Passerellidae, New World Sparrows) are Song Sparrow (about 60%), Dark-eyed Junco (about 40%) and White-throated Sparrow (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow is recorded against all the birds logged in Acadia National Park (116 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
