The Swamp Sparrow is a handsome, richly colored sparrow tied closely to wet places, where it skulks among cattails and marsh vegetation and clambers low over the water on surprisingly long legs. Its warm rusty wings and cap contrast with a clean gray face and breast and a white throat, giving it a more colorful, contrasting look than most streaky brown sparrows. It often forages at the water's edge, even wading briefly or reaching down to pluck prey from just below the surface.
Its song is a slow, musical, one-pitched trill that rings across the marsh, sweeter and more even than the buzzier trills of some relatives. Swamp Sparrows breed in marshes, wet meadows, and bog edges throughout Michigan, staying hidden in dense wetland cover and revealing themselves mainly by voice. Their long legs and habit of feeding along the waterline reflect a life spent in soggy ground that most sparrows avoid.
Eats insects and other aquatic invertebrates gleaned from marsh vegetation and the water's surface in the breeding season, shifting toward seeds in fall and winter. Its long legs let it forage right at the waterline and even reach underwater for prey, an unusual habit among sparrows.
Look for a sparrow with rich rusty wings and cap, a gray face and breast, and a white throat, staying low in marsh vegetation. The colorful, contrasting look and wetland habitat separate it from plainer streaky sparrows.
In marshes, wet meadows, cattail stands, and bog and pond edges. It is a wetland specialist, rarely found far from soggy ground, and often forages right at the water's edge.
A slow, even, musical trill on a single pitch, sweeter and more liquid than the dry trill of a Chipping Sparrow or the buzzy notes of some other sparrows. It carries well across open marsh.
Other birds you might be looking at instead.
Pick the park — it takes less than ten seconds.
Start typing the bird's name, then pick it from the list.
Suggest a birding spot to add to the map. I'll review it before it appears.
Thanks! Your suggestion has been sent for review.
Found something wrong or out of date? Tell me what to fix — it goes straight to my inbox. (No email needed.)
Thank you — your note is on its way. I appreciate the help keeping this accurate.