May 17, 2002
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow

Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows are so named because of their short pointed tails. They spend most of their time on the ground scurrying around for snails and the seeds that they consume. Sharp-tails are found all along the east coast and winter from New York to South Texas. They breed from Northeast British Columbia to North Dakota and along the Atlantic coast to North Carolina in both tidal and freshwater marshes. Listen for their odd song, which sounds like water hitting a hot griddle.