Savannah Sparrow
Savannah SparrowSavannah SparrowSavannah SparrowSavannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

Silhouette: Caleb M. Gordon · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Grand Canyon National Park
23 Verified sightings at Grand Canyon National Park From 2019 to 2026
8,703 Verified sightings across all 26 parks From 2019 to 2026
March Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Savannah Sparrow

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.

The Savannah sparrow was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the buntings in the genus Emberiza and coined the binomial name Emberiza sandwichensis. Gmelin based his text on the Sandwich bunting that had been... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Grand Canyon National Park

Dark-eyed Junco
LC

Dark-eyed Junco

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Junco hyemalis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Spotted Towhee
LC

Spotted Towhee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pipilo maculatus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Chipping Sparrow
LC

Chipping Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizella passerina

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
White-crowned Sparrow
LC

White-crowned Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zonotrichia leucophrys

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Green-tailed Towhee
LC

Green-tailed Towhee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pipilo chlorurus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Black-throated Sparrow
LC

Black-throated Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amphispiza bilineata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Lark Sparrow
LC

Lark Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chondestes grammacus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Song Sparrow
LC

Song Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza melodia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Brewer's Sparrow
LC

Brewer's Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizella breweri

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Lincoln's Sparrow
LC

Lincoln's Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza lincolnii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Vesper Sparrow
LC

Vesper Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pooecetes gramineus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
LC

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aimophila ruficeps

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~50%
2 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~40%
3 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
4 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
5 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
6 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
7 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
11 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
12 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
13 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
14 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
15 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
16 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
18 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
21 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
22 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
23 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
24 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
25 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
26 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Savannah Sparrow in Grand Canyon National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Savannah Sparrow sighting in Grand Canyon National Park, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Savannah Sparrow in Grand Canyon National Park?

March has the highest sighting rate for Savannah Sparrow in Grand Canyon National Park in our monthly data.

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