CreatureData

Savannah sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)

LCLeast Concernsongbirds

The savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) is a species in the family Passerellidae, order Passeriformes. Recorded adults weigh 18.7 g to 20.6 g and live up to 6.92 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
Photo: Cephas · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the savannah sparrow

Weight
18.7 g – 20.6 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
6.8 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Omnivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
grasslandsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
12 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
4.04 – 4.5src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
12 monthssrc for Age at maturity
Litters or clutches a year
2src for Litters or clutches a year
Lifestyle
Generalistsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Migratorysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the savannah sparrow live?

Not recorded

What is the savannah sparrow?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) is a small New World sparrow that is the only member of the genus Passerculus. It is a widespread and abundant species that occupies open grassland habitats in North America.

Over most of its range it is migratory, breeding in Canada and the northern United States while wintering in Mexico and the southern United States. It is a sexually monomorphic species that is quite variable in appearance. Around 17 subspecies are currently recognised. These are divided into several groups, some of which have sometimes been considered as separate species.

The species name sandwichensis is Latin from Sandwich Sound (now Prince William Sound) in southern Alaska from where the first specimen was collected. The common name refers to Savannah, Georgia, where Alexander Wilson observed the species in 1811.

From the Wikipedia article “Savannah sparrow” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Savannah_sparrow&oldid=1359322838), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the savannah sparrow endangered?

The savannah sparrow is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the savannah sparrow classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPasseriformes
  5. familyPasserellidae
  6. genusPasserculus
  7. SpeciesPasserculus sandwichensis (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)

Synonyms Ammodramus sandwichensis, Emberiza arctica

Other names and names in other languages (53)
  • StinkbirdEnglish
  • Breanig ar geotegiBreton
  • sit pardalenc de pratCatalan
  • Sit pardalenc de praderiaCatalan
  • Саванна алык оравиMari
  • strnadec lučníCzech
  • strnadec skvrnitýCzech
  • Strnádka skvrnitýCzech
  • bras paithWelsh
  • SavannahspurvDanish
  • GrasammerGerman
  • savana pasereloEsperanto
  • Gorrión sabaneroSpanish
  • Chingolo sabaneroSpanish
  • Gorrión de SabanaSpanish
  • Sabanero ZanjeroSpanish
  • väljasidrikEstonian
  • kenttäsirkkunenFinnish
  • HeiðaspurvurFaroese
  • bruant des présFrench
  • Bruantin des présFrench
  • Gealóg shabhanaIrish
  • Sparroo SavannahManx
  • Zwazo savannHaitian Creole
  • גיבתונית ערבותHebrew
  • prerijski strnadarCroatian
  • mezei verébsármányHungarian
  • GresjutittlingurIcelandic
  • Passero delle praterieItalian
  • サバンナシトドJapanese
  • クサチヒメドリJapanese
  • 초원멧새Korean
  • 노랑눈썹북미참새Korean
  • Savaninis žvirblelisLithuanian
  • paprastoji prerinė žvirbliastartėLithuanian
  • Savanas zvirbulisLatvian
  • SavannahgorsDutch
  • musespurvNorwegian
  • bagiennik żółtobrewyPolish
  • tico-tico-dos-pradosPortuguese
  • Саванная овсянкаRussian
  • GieddecizotNorthern Sami
  • strnádlik trávovýSlovak
  • prerijski vrabonadSlovenian
  • Savanski strnadSerbian
  • grässparvSwedish
  • Gulbrynad grässparvSwedish
  • Bozkır çintesiTurkish
  • Savannah SerçesiTurkish
  • вівсянка савановаUkrainian
  • пасовник савановийUkrainian
  • 稀树草鹀Chinese
  • 稀樹草鵐Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the savannah sparrow

Other species in the same family Passerellidae.

CompareSavannah sparrow vs Dark-eyed juncoSavannah sparrow vs Song sparrowSavannah sparrow vs White-crowned sparrowSavannah sparrow vs White-throated sparrow

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the savannah sparrow?

An adult savannah sparrow weighs 18.7 g – 20.6 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the savannah sparrow endangered?

The savannah sparrow is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

How long does the savannah sparrow live?

The savannah sparrow has a recorded lifespan of 6.8 years.

What kind of animal is the savannah sparrow?

The savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) belongs to the family Passerellidae in the order Passeriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

Embed a card for this animal on your own site

Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.

Preview the card

APA

CreatureData. (2026). Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/savannah-sparrow

MLA

“Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/savannah-sparrow.

BibTeX
@misc{savannah_sparrow_2026,
  title = {Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/savannah-sparrow},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}