Beak of the Week – Seaside Sparrow

Seaside Sparrows are rather large, long-billed sparrows that are found in tidal saltwater marshes and brackish marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Populations that breed from New Hampshire and Maine south through Virginia are migratory or partially migratory, while populations along the southern Atlantic coast and along the Gulf coast are nonmigratory. There are two distinct subspecies found in Texas, one of which can be found along the Upper Texas Coast, while the other can be found in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, with an intergrade zone between the two subspecies near Corpus Christi producing individuals that are intermediate between the two subspecies. The two subspecies are overall similar in appearance: dark gray overall, with a yellow stripe in front of the eyes and variable streaking across the chest. Birds along the Upper Texas Coast have a distinct orange wash along the chest, while birds in the Rio Grande Valley have a grayer chest.

Seaside Sparrows can be somewhat hard to spot as they forage in dense marsh vegetation, but during the breeding season they can be located by their song: a rich, buzzy trill preceded by a short introductory note. In the Houston area, the 17ht Street Jetty at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary and Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge are both reliable places to see these charming sparrows!