# Grasshopper Sparrow

*Ammodramus savannarum*

This bird gets its name not just from its diet, but because its primary song is a buzzy insect-like trill that is nearly indistinguishable from a grasshopper.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Passerellidae › Ammodramus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Near Threatened
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Native prairies, pastures, old fields, and agricultural grasslands with sparse woody vegetation.
- **Diet:** Insects (primarily grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars) in summer; weed and grass seeds in winter.
- **Range:** North America, Central America, Caribbean
- **Size:** Length: 10-14 cm, Wingspan: 18 cm, Weight: 14-20 g
- **Lifespan:** 3 to 6 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat loss and fragmentation due to agriculture and urban development, early hay mowing, and pesticide reduction of prey.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and highly secretive. If encountered, keep a safe distance of at least 15 feet to avoid disturbing its ground-nesting activities. Avoid stepping off-trail in native grasslands during the spring and summer breeding seasons to prevent crushing hidden nests.

## About

The grasshopper sparrow ( Ammodramus savannarum ) is a small American sparrow. The genus Ammodramus contains nine species that inhabit grasslands and prairies.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/8f3ff850-c28c-4e93-8945-66c73c5020ca
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/10139
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammodramus savannarum
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/93897589/medium.jpg (Cole Wolf, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.