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Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) Neal Smith NWR, Iowa. Jun 29, 2019 Ammodramus henslowii,Geotagged,Henslow's sparrow,Summer,United States Click/tap to enlarge PromotedSpecies introCountry intro

Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii)

Neal Smith NWR, Iowa. Jun 29, 2019

    comments (5)

  1. This is the weakest photo of the bunch, but I still wanted to upload it, for the story it represents.
    I've become really enamored with the Ammodramus sparrows. All of them are very skulking, inhabiting dense grassy or marshy habitats, and are usually only seen if a male pops up on a exposed perch to sing.
    At first, they look like nondescript little brown jobs, but if you get a good look at them, they're actually quite beautifully patterned. I managed to see several species this past year, but this one, which can be found only a couple hours from St Louis, continued to elude me. So this was at the top of my wishlist for the weekend. In total, I spent about 15 hours in suitable tallgrass prairie habitat, and never heard so much as a peep of one. Until, Sunday right before lunch, when I was about to give up, and start on the 5 hour drive back home, I stopped in one last spot. I figured I'd wait for a few minutes, just relax, and open my ears wide. And lo and behold, suddenly I heard it: a weak 'tsi-lick'. I turned around, and there he was, perched up above the prairie! He called out for about a minute, and then he was gone again, and I was left smiling like an idiot on the roadside... :)
    Posted 6 years ago, modified 6 years ago
    1. This kind of storytelling reminds me exactly of the jewel hunter book! What an effort you put into this bird, glad you found it! Posted 6 years ago
      1. Oh thanks I take that as a great compliment! Or maybe it's just that all crazy birders make a whole adventure out of looking for small secretive birds ;) Posted 6 years ago
        1. Awesome! Glad you saw it and thanks for sharing <3 Posted 6 years ago
          1. Thanks Christine :) Posted 6 years ago

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Henslow's sparrow is a passerine bird in the Passerellidae family. It was named by John James Audubon in honor of John Stevens Henslow. It was originally classified in the genus ''Emberiza'' and called ''Henslow's bunting''.

Similar species: Perching Birds
Species identified by Thibaud Aronson
View Thibaud Aronson's profile

By Thibaud Aronson

All rights reserved
Uploaded Jul 2, 2019. Captured Jun 30, 2019 10:45 in Unnamed Road, Prairie City, IA 50228, USA.
  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II
  • f/11.0
  • 1/512s
  • ISO400
  • 560mm