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Bird

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

Lives in North Carolina all year and nests here. Found in all 100 counties, across 14 habitats.

Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 100 counties
Habitats
14

At a glance

Group
Birds
Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 100 counties
Habitats
14
Habitat models
Summer, Winter

Where it lives

The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.

Habitats in North Carolina 14

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 14

Pine flatwoods

Georgia Pines
SummerWinterCentral Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and FlatwoodsGeorge Inness, Georgia Pines (1890): tall, straight pines over an open, grassy floor in a south Georgia pine woods. Regional view: the painting does not name the exact site. Shown: Georgia pine woods (George Inness, 1890; site not named), a neighboring state.Georgia Pines, George Inness (1825-1894), 1890. Public domain. Source record.

Ponds, lakes and their shores

Georgia pond and emergent wetland
SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Large Natural LakeshoreRegional / representative. Shown: Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Georgia; representative pond ecosystem, a neighboring state.Georgia pond and emergent wetland, Robert 'Bob' Hynes, 1997. Public domain. Source record.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Black Mountainlabel QS:Len,"Black Mountain"
SummerWinterDeveloped, Open Space; Cultivated Cropland; Pasture/Hay; Disturbed/Successional - Grass/Forb Regeneration; Utility Swath - Herbaceous; Ruderal Upland - Old FieldLyell Carr, Black Mountain: a pasture and hayfield with a log barn, rail fence and grazing cow below the Black Mountains. Black Mountain, North Carolina (Lyell E. Carr)Black Mountainlabel QS:Len,"Black Mountain", Lyell Carr, c. 1890-1912. Public domain. Source record.

Coastal dunes and beaches

Open sand of beaches, dunes and the hollows between them.

SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Northern Sandy Beach; Unconsolidated Shore (Beach/Dune); Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland; Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Interdunal Wetland

Coastal tidal marshes (salinity not stated)

Tidal marshes of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts where the source does not say whether the water is fresh, brackish or salt. A stated salinity files the marsh under freshwater tidal marshes or salt and brackish marshes instead.

SummerWinter

Depression ponds and limesinks

Shallow ponds in Coastal Plain depressions, such as limesinks and the ponds in some Carolina bays, that rise and fall with the seasons.

SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Depression Pondshore

Disturbed and introduced wetlands

Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.

SummerWinter

Forest edges and thickets

Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.

SummerWinterDisturbed/Successional - Shrub Regeneration; Successional Shrub/Scrub (Other); Harvested Forest - Shrub Regeneration

Freshwater tidal marshes

Marshes along tidal rivers where the water is fresh but rises and falls with the tide.

SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh; Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh

Mountain balds

Treeless grassy or shrubby summits and ridges in the high mountains.

SummerSouthern Appalachian Grass and Shrub Bald - Herbaceous Modifier

Mountain bogs and fens

Wet, open, peaty mountain wetlands fed by seepage, often with sphagnum moss.

Summer

Pine savannas

Open, fire-kept longleaf pine stands over grasses and wildflowers on wet to moist sandy soil.

SummerWinterCentral Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods

Salt and brackish marshes

Coastal marshes flooded by salty or brackish tides.

SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Central Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh; Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh

Sandhills

Dry, deep-sand ridges with longleaf pine and turkey oak, kept open by fire.

WinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier
Other habitats in its models (144)

Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in North Carolina. Those recorded in North Carolina first, the rest by region.

Elsewhere in the South (43)
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Sea Island Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Xeric River Dune Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Central and Upper Texas Coast Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
  • Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Winter.
  • Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Winter.
  • Central Florida Pine Flatwoods Winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods Winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loblolly-Hardwood Flatwoods Winter.
  • East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Winter.
  • Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Winter.
  • Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
  • Florida Dry Prairie Winter.
  • Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Louisiana Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Lower Mississippi River Flatwoods Winter.
  • Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
  • South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Winter.
  • South Florida Freshwater Slough and Gator Hole Winter.
  • South Florida Pine Flatwoods Winter.
  • South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Winter.
  • South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • Southeast Florida Beach Winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Southern Blackland Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Southwest Florida Beach Winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Southwest Florida Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
  • Tamaulipan Savanna Grassland Winter.
  • Texas Coastal Bend Beach Winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Texas Saline Coastal Prairie Winter.
  • Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Winter.
  • Upper Texas Coast Beach Winter, beside its main habitat.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Catahoula Barrens Winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Winter.
  • Western Great Plains Floodplain Summer and winter.
Northeast (8)
  • Acadian-Appalachian Alpine Tundra Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Salt Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Great Lakes Freshwater Estuary and Delta Summer.
  • Laurentian-Acadian Freshwater Marsh Summer.
  • North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dune and Swale Summer and winter.
  • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Heathland and Grassland Summer and winter.
Midwest (14)
  • Central Mixedgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Central Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Great Lakes Alvar Summer.
  • Great Lakes Dune Summer.
  • Great Lakes Wet-Mesic Lakeplain Prairie Summer.
  • Great Plains Prairie Pothole Summer and winter.
  • North-Central Interior Sand and Gravel Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Northern Great Lakes Coastal Marsh Summer.
  • Northern Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Open Freshwater Depression Wetland Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Saline Depression Wetland Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Sand Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
West (52)
  • Apacherian-Chihuahuan Semi-Desert Grassland and Steppe Winter.
  • California Central Valley and Southern Coastal Grassland Summer and winter.
  • California Central Valley Mixed Oak Savanna Winter.
  • California Coastal Live Oak Woodland and Savanna Winter.
  • California Mesic Serpentine Grassland Summer and winter.
  • California Northern Coastal Grassland Summer and winter.
  • Chihuahuan Gypsophilous Grassland and Steppe Winter.
  • Chihuahuan Sandy Plains Semi-Desert Grassland Winter.
  • Chihuahuan-Sonoran Desert Bottomland and Swale Grassland Winter.
  • Columbia Basin Foothill and Canyon Dry Grassland Summer and winter.
  • Columbia Basin Palouse Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland Summer and winter.
  • Great Basin Foothill and Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Winter.
  • Inter-Mountain Basins Alkaline Closed Depression Summer and winter.
  • Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe Summer and winter.
  • Inter-Mountain Basins Interdunal Swale Wetland Summer and winter.
  • Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe Summer and winter.
  • Inter-Mountain Basins Playa Summer and winter.
  • Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland Summer and winter.
  • Mediterranean California Serpentine Fen Summer and winter.
  • Mediterranean California Serpentine Foothill and Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Seep Summer and winter.
  • Mediterranean California Subalpine Meadow Summer and winter.
  • Mediterranean California Subalpine-Montane Fen Summer and winter.
  • North American Arid West Emergent Marsh Summer and winter.
  • North American Warm Desert Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
  • North American Warm Desert Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
  • North Pacific Bog and Fen Summer and winter.
  • North Pacific Herbaceous Bald and Bluff Summer and winter.
  • North Pacific Hypermaritime Shrub and Herbaceous Headland Summer and winter.
  • North Pacific Intertidal Freshwater Wetland Summer and winter.
  • North Pacific Maritime Coastal Sand Dune and Strand Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • North Pacific Montane Grassland Summer and winter.
  • North Pacific Shrub Swamp Summer and winter.
  • Northern California Claypan Vernal Pool Summer and winter.
  • Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane, Foothill and Valley Grassland Summer.
  • Northern Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Upper Montane Grassland Summer.
  • Rocky Mountain Alpine-Montane Wet Meadow Summer and winter.
  • Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Fen Summer and winter.
  • Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Mesic Meadow Summer and winter.
  • Southern Rocky Mountain Juniper Woodland and Savanna Winter.
  • Southern Rocky Mountain Montane-Subalpine Grassland Summer and winter.
  • Temperate Pacific Freshwater Emergent Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Temperate Pacific Freshwater Mudflat Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Temperate Pacific Intertidal Mudflat Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Temperate Pacific Montane Wet Meadow Summer and winter.
  • Temperate Pacific Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Closed Depression Wetland Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Foothill and Piedmont Grassland Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Willamette Valley Upland Prairie and Savanna Summer and winter.
  • Willamette Valley Wet Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Wyoming Basins Dwarf Sagebrush Shrubland and Steppe Summer and winter.
Land cover and other classes (27)
  • Acadian Salt Marsh and Estuary Systems Summer.
  • Arkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland Winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Plain Dry Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Prairie and Woodland Winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Winter.
  • Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Great Lakes Coastal Marsh Systems Summer.
  • Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer and winter.
  • Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub Steppe Summer and winter.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Summer and winter.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer and winter.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer and winter.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Summer and winter.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Shrub Summer and winter.
  • Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Summer and winter.
  • Recently Burned Grassland Summer and winter.
  • Recently Burned Shrubland Summer and winter.
  • South Texas Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
  • South Texas Sand Sheet Grassland Winter.
  • Tamaulipan Clay Grassland Winter.
  • Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Winter.
  • Unconsolidated Shore Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Summer and winter.

All habitats

Seasons in North Carolina

  • Migratory: does not nest here, in 11 of 100 counties.
  • Winter: does not nest here, in 96 of 100 counties.
  • Summer: nests here, in 12 of 100 counties.

Food plants

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Plants matched by genus.

Native plants in these genera 3

Plant genera in its diet records (4)
  • Avena 2 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Erodium 1 diet record. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Hordeum 1 diet record. 1 native plant in North Carolina
  • Solanum 1 diet record. 2 native plants in North Carolina

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Also found in its main habitats

Its main habitats in North Carolina, by how much of its habitat model each one is, with the birds most characteristic of each and the plants that grow wild there. Shared habitat, not food.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Birds 89

Plants 1314

All of roadsides, fields and disturbed ground in North Carolina

Coastal dunes and beaches

Birds 112

Plants 132

All of coastal dunes and beaches in North Carolina

Forest edges and thickets

Birds 40

Plants 231

All of forest edges and thickets in North Carolina

USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.

Sources