All birds New World Sparrows
Lark Sparrow
Chondestes grammacus
Here April to August.
Recorded by David Tattersley. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, via xeno-canto, trimmed and volume evened out.
Look for
- A bold face with stripes of chestnut brown and white.
- A dark spot in the middle of the chest.
- A long tail with white edges and white corners. Males and females look alike.
A little about it
Lark Sparrows spend the summer here. Look for them from April to August.
It finds almost all its food by walking on the ground in open spots. It often feeds in small, loose flocks. It eats seeds from grass and weeds. In summer it eats lots of bugs too, like grasshoppers and beetles.
The nest is a cup of grass and twigs. It's often on the ground at the base of a tall weed, but it can be in a bush or small tree up to 7 feet high. The female lays 4 or 5 eggs. The babies leave the nest when they're 9 or 10 days old.
When it flies from place to place, it goes higher than most sparrows. Listen for a sharp call as it passes over. Its song mixes buzzes with sweet trills.
Fun fact
To win a mate, the male struts on the ground near the female. He points his bill up and spreads his tail wide to show off the white corners.
When it's here
- January: not here
- February: not here
- March: a few
- April: here
- May: here
- June: here
- July: here
- August: here
- September: a few
- October: a few
- November: a few
- December: not here
Taller bars mean more sightings. Most often seen in July.
How big
6 to 7 inches. A big sparrow with a long tail.
Where to look
Open country with bushes and a few trees, like pastures and roadsides. Look for patches of bare ground, where it likes to walk and feed.
Could it be something else?
Song Sparrow
Its chest is covered in streaks, and they often run together into a dark spot in the middle. A Lark Sparrow has a bold chestnut and white face, and white corners on its tail.
Young Lark Sparrow
Young birds are duller, but they have the same face and tail patterns.
Where these facts come from
- Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- When it's here: Sightings shared on iNaturalist in the 8 counties, all years.