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Home/Species/ Belding's Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi

Ridgway, 1885

Belding's Savannah Sparrow

T3T3 (G5T3) Found in 83 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
T3T3Global Rank
Belding's Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102327
Element CodeABPBX99015
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSubspecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyPasserellidae
GenusPasserculus
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1957. The AOU check-list of North American birds, 5th ed. Port City Press, Inc., Baltimore, MD. 691 pp.
Conservation Status
Review Date1996-12-04
Change Date1996-12-04
Range Extent250-20,000 square km (about 100-8000 square miles)
Rank Reasons
Restricted to southern California and northern Baja California; total population of a few thousand pairs was increasing in the 1980s.
Range Extent Comments
RESIDENT: southern California coastal marshes from San Diego County to Goleta Slough, Santa Barbara County (Biosystems Analysis 1989, California DF&G 1990); also northwestern Baja California, including Todos Santos Islands and El Rosario (AOU 1957).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

A sparrow with yellow lores, a yellowish eyebrow, pale crown stripe, dark whisker stripe, upperparts and lower parts heavily and darkly streaked, short notched tail (NGS 1983). The numerous subspecies vary in size, coloration, bill size, and extent of streaking (NGS 1983).

Diagnostic Characteristics

Differs from other subspecies by being darker and more heavily streaked on the back, breast, and sides. Also differs from coastal subspecies to the north by having a larger bill, shorter wings and tail, and darker legs and feet (Ridgway 1901).

Habitat

Salt marshes. Nests on the ground in natural depression or scrape, primarily in pickleweed (SALICORNIA VIRGINICA) habitat at the higher levels of the marsh, above the reach of the highest spring tides (California DF&G 1990).

Reproduction

Clutch size is 3-6 (usually 4-5). Both sexes, in turn, incubate 12 days. Nestlings are altricial and downy. Young leave nest about 14 days after hatching. Infrequently nests in loose colonies.
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaS3Yes
Roadless Areas (83)
California (83)
AreaForestAcres
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
Arroyo SecoAngeles National Forest4,703
BackboneShasta-Trinity National Forest11,466
Barker ValleyCleveland National Forest11,940
Big RocksLos Padres National Forest11,866
Black ButteLos Padres National Forest5,116
Black MountainLos Padres National Forest16,818
BriscoeMendocino National Forest7,212
Cahuilla MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,952
CajonSan Bernardino National Forest7,548
CalienteCleveland National Forest5,953
CamuesaLos Padres National Forest8,209
Chalk PeakLos Padres National Forest7,472
ChannellSequoia National Forest45,429
ChicoSequoia National Forest39,836
Circle MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,375
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
ColdwaterCleveland National Forest8,402
Crystal CreekSan Bernardino National Forest6,783
Cucamonga BSan Bernardino National Forest11,933
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
CuyamaLos Padres National Forest19,631
De La GuerraLos Padres National Forest5,418
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Deer MountainMendocino National Forest11,716
Dennison PeakSequoia National Forest6,293
DiableLos Padres National Forest19,597
Dry LakesLos Padres National Forest17,043
Eagle PeakCleveland National Forest6,481
Fish CanyonAngeles National Forest29,886
Fox MountainLos Padres National Forest52,072
Garcia MountainLos Padres National Forest7,850
Granite PeakSan Bernardino National Forest450
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
GrindstoneMendocino National Forest26,031
Hixon FlatSan Bernardino National Forest8,095
Horse Creek RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest8,969
Horseshoe SpringsLos Padres National Forest14,089
IshiLassen National Forest21,805
JuncalLos Padres National Forest12,289
La PanzaLos Padres National Forest4,954
Lpoor CanyonLos Padres National Forest13,762
Machesna MountainLos Padres National Forest12,271
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
Malduce BuckhornLos Padres National Forest14,177
MatilijaLos Padres National Forest5,218
Mill CreekSequoia National Forest27,643
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
Mirada PimeLos Padres National Forest13,302
MonoLos Padres National Forest28,141
No NameCleveland National Forest4,897
NordhoffLos Padres National Forest12,031
Oat Mtn.Sequoia National Forest12,223
Pine CreekCleveland National Forest503
Pleasant ViewAngeles National Forest26,395
Pyramid Peak BSan Bernardino National Forest7,194
QuatalLos Padres National Forest7,253
Raywood Flat BSan Bernardino National Forest11,373
Red MountainAngeles National Forest8,034
Reister CanyonMendocino National Forest5,897
Rouse HillSan Bernardino National Forest13,745
Salt CreekAngeles National Forest11,022
San Gabriel AddAngeles National Forest2,527
San Mateo CanyonCleveland National Forest65
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
Santa CruzLos Padres National Forest21,182
Sawmill - BadlandsLos Padres National Forest51,362
Sespe - FrazierAngeles National Forest4,254
Sheep MountainAngeles National Forest21,098
Sill HillCleveland National Forest5,294
Snow MountainMendocino National Forest14,457
Stanley MountainLos Padres National Forest14,674
Strawberry PeakAngeles National Forest7,245
SugarloafSan Bernardino National Forest8,206
Tepusquet PeakLos Padres National Forest5,821
TequepisLos Padres National Forest9,080
Thomes CreekMendocino National Forest16,616
TrabucoCleveland National Forest23,341
TuleAngeles National Forest9,861
West ForkAngeles National Forest1,169
WestforkAngeles National Forest4,407
White LedgeLos Padres National Forest18,632
WildhorseCleveland National Forest1,483
References (10)
  1. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1957. The AOU check-list of North American birds, 5th ed. Port City Press, Inc., Baltimore, MD. 691 pp.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  3. Biosystems Analysis, Inc. 1989. Endangered Species Alert Program Manual: Species Accounts and Procedures. Southern California Edison Environmental Affairs Division.
  4. California Department of Fish and Game (CDF&G). 1990. 1989 annual report on the status of California's state listed threatened and endangered plants and animals. 188 pp.
  5. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  6. National Geographic Society (NGS). 1983. Field guide to the birds of North America. National Geographic Society, Washington, DC.
  7. Peterson, R. T. 1990b. A field guide to western birds. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. 432 pp.
  8. Ridgway, R. 1901. The birds of North and Middle America. Part I. U.S. National Museum Bull. 50.
  9. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  10. Zink, R. K., et al. 1991a. Mitochondrial DNA variation and the taxonomic status of the large-billed savannah sparrow. Condor 93:1016-1019.