The southern swamp sparrow is a small songbird native to North America, where it breeds in the wetlands of the northern U.S. and Canada. They spend their winters along the Gulf of Mexico.

Physical Description

Southern swamp sparrows are one of three subspecies of swamp sparrow. They can be distinguished from the coastal plain swamp sparrow by their smaller bill and brown eye stripe, whereas the coastal plains sparrow has black markings and a larger bill.

Native Habitat

Swamp sparrows occur throughout North America, but southern swamp sparrows can be found from northern Michigan and Wisconsin and parts of southern Quebec and Nova Scotia, south to the Gulf Coast, into central and southern Mexico and southern Florida.

Food/Eating Habits

Southern swamp sparrows are primarily insectivorous, but will supplement their diet with seeds, weeds and grasses depending upon location and time of year. 

Reproduction and Development

These sparrows often conceal their nests made of fine grasses between cattails or among other vegetation. They lay three to six greenish-white eggs with spotty brown marks. Swamp sparrows lay two clutches of eggs each year. Females incubate the eggs, which hatch after 12 to 15 days.

Conservation Efforts

Swamp sparrows have an extremely large range, as well as an increasing population.

Animal News

Ducks of Our Lives

March 25, 2024

#GorillaStory: I’ll Have What Mom’s Having

March 18, 2024

Meet Our Addax Calf

February 29, 2024