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LeConte's Sparrow

This small sparrow is known to be secretive, but a few of them decided to perch out in the open for me. They are quite pretty.

 

Here is what All About Birds has to say about them: "Famously elusive and stubbornly stealthy, the pumpkin-faced LeConte’s Sparrow acts more like a mouse than a bird. This short-tailed, flat-headed sparrow breeds in marshy areas of North America's great grasslands. It spends much of its time foraging on the ground for seeds and insects, often scurrying rather than flying away from danger. Even singing males rarely climb into view. Because of conversion of grassland habitat, LeConte's Sparrows have declined sharply since 1966 and are on the Yellow Watch List for their declining population."

 

With global warming, many marshes are also drying up, so that will be another major issue for the long term survival of the species.

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Uploaded on August 15, 2024
Taken on August 13, 2024