Lark Sparrow
Chondestes grammacus
Habitat
Ground
Diet
PlantSeed
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
29 g
About This Species
This sparrow favours open grassland, scrub and farmland edges across the central and western United States, where it walks and hops on bare ground searching for seeds and insects. Its harlequin face pattern of chestnut, black and white stripes is distinctive at close range, and males sing a varied, musical song from a low perch or in a fluttering display flight. Spring and early summer, during the breeding season, are the best times to see the song flight.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep a respectful distance and avoid walking through nesting habitat during the breeding season, since ground-nesting sparrows are easily flushed and their nests are vulnerable to trampling.
- Native birds and their nests are protected under migratory bird laws in the US, but enforcement and specific provisions vary by state and season.
- Observe from field edges or trails rather than cutting across open grassland where it is likely to be nesting.
LCAvesPasseriformesPasserellidae
Seasonal Activity
1,012,161 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
Traits
- Diet
- PlantSeed
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 29 g
Photo
(c) guyincognito, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by guyincognito
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.