Savannah Sparrow Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesSavannah Sparrow
Adult (Savannah)
Medium-sized sparrow with a fairly small bill and short tail. Crisply streaked breast and strong face pattern with yellowish stripe over the eye.
© Bryan Calk / Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, January 06, 2019Adult (Belding's)
© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay LibraryBaja California, March 11, 2021Adult (Belding's)
Medium-sized sparrow with fairly small bill and short tail. The "Belding's" form breeds in saltmarshes of California and Baja California; it is darker, more heavily streaked, and has a thinner crown stripe than other forms.
© Luke Seitz / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, September 19, 2016Adult (Savannah)
Eats larvae, spiders, grasshoppers, millipedes, and other insects. This individual is likely carrying food back to the nest to feed its nestlings.
© Eric Liner / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 21, 2007Adult (Savannah)
Crisp brown streaks on white breast (may converge to form a spot). Strong face pattern with yellowish stripe over the eye.
© Brad Imhoff / Macaulay LibraryOhio, October 17, 2020Adult (Savannah)
Typically found in open habitats including grassland, saltmarsh, tundra, roadsides, agricultural areas, and beaches.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, April 22, 2017Adult (Ipswich)
The "Ipswich" form breeds in coastal Nova Scotia and winters in coastal areas in northeastern North America. They are paler brown than other forms of Savannah Sparrow.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, December 21, 2016Adult (Belding's)
The dark, heavily streaked "Belding's" form with a thinner crown stripe occurs in saltmarshes of California and Baja California.
© Andrew Newmark / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 12, 2019Adult (Large-billed)
Medium-sized sparrow with short tail. "Large-billed" form occurs in northwestern Mexico and Baja California; note large, heavy bill and lack of yellow in the stripe over the eye.
© Ryan O'Donnell / Macaulay LibraryBaja California, November 25, 2016Similar SpeciesSong Sparrow
Adult (Eastern)
Song Sparrows have larger bills and longer, more rounded tails than Savannah Sparrows. They are more coarsely streaked, with a broad malar or mustache stripe, without yellow in the eyebrow stripe.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryVermont, May 22, 2017Similar SpeciesSong Sparrow
Adult (Pacific Northwest)
The plumage of Song Sparrows varies across North America, but they usually have larger bills and longer, rounded tails than Savannah Sparrows, with coarser streaks and more gray tones to the plumage.
© Steven Mlodinow / Macaulay LibraryWashington, December 28, 2010Similar SpeciesVesper Sparrow
Adult/immature
Vesper Sparrows are slightly larger than Savannah Sparrows. They have a white eyering and white outer tail feathers unlike Savannah Sparrows. They also lack Savannah's yellowish stripe over the eye.
© John Reynolds / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, September 04, 2016Similar SpeciesLapland Longspur
Female/immature male
Female and immature Lapland Longspurs have a rufous patch in the wings, a dark outline to the cheek, and blackish flank streaks, which Savannah Sparrows lack.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, December 19, 2003Similar SpeciesWhite-throated Sparrow
Immature
Immature White-throated Sparrows are plumper than Savannah Sparrows with longer tails. White-throated Sparrows have bold black stripes on the crown and a neat white throat patch.
© Suzanne Labbé / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, November 09, 2016Similar SpeciesAmerican Pipit
Nonbreeding/immature
American Pipits are larger than Savannah Sparrows with a thinner and pointer bill. They also have less streaking on the back than Savannah Sparrows.
© Doug Hitchcox / Macaulay LibraryMaine, November 15, 2015Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
New World Sparrows(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Passerellidae)
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