WatchList Species Account for Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Ammodramus Caudacutus)

Qualifies for the list as a Red List Species

Photo: Bill Hubick

The Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow breeds in saltmarsh along the coast from southern Maine to the Delmarva Peninsula and winters in saltmarsh from coastal North Carolina to northern Florida and the Gulf Coast. Its habitat is dominated by smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora, saltmeadow grass Spartina patens, blackgrass Juncus gerardi, cattail Typha sp., and marsh elder Iva frutescens. The introduced reed Phragmites australis is also frequently present in these marshes, but the degree to which it impacts the species is not known. The species is polygamous and the breeding population cannot be assessed based on the number of singing males.

Though population trends are unknown, it is thought likely that it is declining as a result of diking and development of its saltmarsh habitat. Sea level rise due to global warming could eliminate saltmarsh where this habitat has no opportunity of moving inland. Since the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow is an obligate resident of saltmarsh, it will disappear along with the habitat. One precaution with this in mind is to identify and protect large areas of undiked saltmarsh along the Atlantic coast, especially where these can migrate inland should the climate change.