Centronyx henslowii
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Henslow's sparrow (Centronyx henslowii) is a North American passerine bird in the family Passerellidae. It was named by John James Audubon in honor of John Stevens Henslow. It was originally classified in the genus Emberiza and called Henslow's bunting.
Adults have streaked brown upperparts with a light brown breast with streaks, a white belly and a white throat. They have a pale stripe on the crown with a dark stripe on each side, an olive face and neck, rust-coloured wings and a short dark forked tail.
Measurements: Length: 4.3–5.1 in (11–13 cm) Weight: 0.4–0.5 oz (11–14 g) Wingspan: 6.3–7.9 in (16–20 cm) Henslow's sparrows breed in fields and meadows across interior eastern North America. Their range stretches from New York and Pennsylvania across the midwest to as far west as Kansas, with a disjunct population in North Carolina, though their populations are scattered and low-density. Historically, Henslow's sparrows were much more widespread and bred as far east as New England. They winter in weedy fields in the American south from Texas and Arkansas east to South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
The range and numbers of this bird... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Henslow's Sparrow sighting in Congaree National Park on a given day, based on 40 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 95th most-seen of the 148 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Henslow's Sparrow in Congaree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Henslow's Sparrow sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Henslow's Sparrow sightings, Congaree National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, under 5%) and Point Pelee National Park (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Passerellidae
The closest relatives of the Henslow's Sparrow that you can see in Congaree National Park (family Passerellidae, New World Sparrows) are White-throated Sparrow (about 20%), Eastern Towhee (about 20%) and Chipping Sparrow (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Henslow's Sparrow is recorded against all the birds logged in Congaree National Park (40 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.
