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 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
10 Verified sightings at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve From 2019 to 2026
8,703 Verified sightings across all 26 parks From 2019 to 2026
December 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 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve

Olive Sparrow
LC

Olive Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Arremonops rufivirgatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Grasshopper Sparrow
LC

Grasshopper Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ammodramus savannarum

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Green-backed Sparrow
LC

Green-backed Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Arremonops chloronotus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Botteri's Sparrow
LC

Botteri's Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Peucaea botterii

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Yellow Warbler
LC

Yellow Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga petechia

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Great-tailed Grackle
LC

Great-tailed Grackle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Quiscalus mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Tropical Mockingbird
LC

Tropical Mockingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mimus gilvus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Tropical Kingbird
LC

Tropical Kingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Mangrove Vireo
LC

Mangrove Vireo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vireo pallens

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Great Kiskadee
LC

Great Kiskadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Northern Waterthrush
LC

Northern Waterthrush

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Parkesia noveboracensis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Mangrove Swallow
LC

Mangrove Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tachycineta albilinea

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

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 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Savannah Sparrow sighting in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Savannah Sparrow in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve?

December has the highest sighting rate for Savannah Sparrow in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.

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