Swamp Sparrow in Winter

Swamp sparrow perched on small branch with soft golden background.
Swamp sparrow.

Appearance: Swamp sparrows are small birds about 5-6″ long. They sport an array of colors including blue/gray on its head with a rust-colored crown and a black stripe that connects to the cone-shaped bill. The tail is brown and points up – legs are relatively long for a sparrow. The female looks the same.

Winter Diet: Seeds, fruits & invertebrates.

Winter Feeder food: They don’t usually visit feeders.

Winter habitat: For winter, some swamp sparrows remain in their small year-round range in parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New England while many more migrate to the southern US states, along the pacific coast, and Mexico and a small patch in Arizona. As their name implies they prefer to be near water as well as vegetation near water.

Range Map

Swamp sparrow range map.
Swamp sparrow range map.