The LeConte’s sparrow (Ammospiza leconteii) is a small, secretive songbird found in prairies and grasslands across central North America. This sparrow is best known for its distinctive calls, which sound like a series of rising, buzzy trills. In this article, we will explore what the different vocalizations of the LeConte’s sparrow sound like and what they are used for.
Description of the LeConte’s Sparrow
The LeConte’s sparrow is a small bird, measuring 11.5-13.5 cm in length and weighing 11-20 grams. It has a short tail, small bill, and streaky brown plumage on its back and wings. The breast is pale brown with darker streaks and the face is gray with a pale median stripe. The sparrow has a rusty nape and gray cheeks.
LeConte’s sparrows breed in the northern Great Plains and prairie regions of central North America. Their breeding habitat consists of wet meadows with tall grasses and sedges. During the winter they migrate south to the southern Great Plains and Gulf Coast. Here they inhabit open grassy habitats including wet fields, damp meadows, and prairie.
Songs
The songs of the LeConte’s sparrow are high-pitched and buzzy. Their primary song consists of a series of 6-15 very high, thin, buzzy notes that rise and then fall in pitch. The song lasts about 2-3 seconds. It is typically described as sounding like a highly accelerated insect or grasshopper. Here is a description of what this common song sounds like:
tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi…tseee
This primary song is used frequently during the breeding season to declare ownership of a territory and attract a mate. Both male and female LeConte’s sparrows sing, especially early in the breeding season. Below is a spectrogram image showing the musical notes of a typical LeConte’s sparrow song:
Image | Description |
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Spectrogram showing the notes of a LeConte’s sparrow song. The notes rise and fall in pitch. Audio credit: R. Beason, Xeno-Canto. |
Here is an audio clip of the LeConte’s sparrow’s primary song so you can hear what it sounds like:
The males sing this distinctive primary song to defend their nesting territories and attract females during the breeding season. Both males and females sing, up to 3000 songs per day during peak breeding season!
Call Notes
In addition to its songs, the LeConte’s sparrow uses various call notes to communicate different meanings. Some examples of call notes include:
Flight note – A short, dry, buzzing note given frequently when the bird is flushed and flying away. Sounds like “bzit”.
Chip note – A short “chip”, higher pitched than the flight note. Used during foraging and other times outside of breeding context.
Upslurred whistle – A “pseeeooo” or “pseet” upslurred note used during migration and on the wintering grounds.
Rattle call – A fast “brrr-brrr-brrr” or “chit-chit-chit” call given as an alarm or scolding call, often when defending a nest site.
Chatter call – A fast series of buzzy, sputtering notes like “brzzt brzzt bzbzbzbzb”. Used as a contact call between mates and parents/young.
Below are spectrogram images and audio clips of some typical LeConte’s sparrow call notes:
Call Note | Spectrogram | Audio Clip |
---|---|---|
Flight note | ||
Chip note | ||
Upslurred whistle |
These various call notes are used in different contexts to communicate messages like alarm, keeping contact, or announcing location. Understanding the sounds of these notes can help birders identify the LeConte’s sparrow in the field.
Variation and Identification
While the LeConte’s sparrow has characteristic vocalizations, there can be some variation between individual birds. Factors like geography, age, and individual differences can cause the songs and calls to vary slightly in pitch, tempo, and tone. For example, some of the buzzier quality may be lost in drier environments. Younger males may sing incomplete or more variable songs until they mature. And each male has its own unique version of the species’ characteristic song.
Despite these differences, the overall buzzy, trilling quality and rhythmic pattern remains stable enough to identify the LeConte’s sparrow by sound. Becoming familiar with the its signature song and call notes is the best way to learn to recognize this species in the field. Their vocalizations are more distinctive than their plain plumage.
Some other grassland sparrow species like the Henslow’s sparrow and grasshopper sparrow have superficially similar reedy, buzzing songs. However, with practice an experienced birder can distinguish the finer differences. Listening for the rising and falling song pattern, very high thin buzzing quality, and verschiedene call notes unique to the LeConte’s sparrow are the best identifying features.
When and Why They Sing
LeConte’s sparrows use their various vocalizations for communicating different purposes throughout the seasons:
Breeding Season
– Songs proclaimed continuously through the day to mark nesting territory
– Singing peaks early in breeding season as pairs first arrive
– Males sing to attract a mate and defend territory
– Females may sing briefly at dawn upon arriving at breeding site
Nesting Stage
– Songs used less frequently once mated and nesting begins
– Call notes like chatter calls used for communicating between mates
– Alarm calls and chipping increase around nest sites
Migration
– Flight and upslurred call notes as flocks migrate between breeding and wintering grounds
Wintering Grounds
– Winter flocks keep in contact with call notes
– Song reemerges as spring migration starts and pairs form
So songs are used extensively during territory establishment and mate attraction in the breeding season, while various call notes facilitate communication year-round between mates, families, and flocks. Understanding when and how this species uses its voice provides helpful context for identifying the LeConte’s sparrow by sound.
Habitat and Hearing the Calls
Due to the wet meadow breeding habitat of LeConte’s sparrows, hearing their songs and calls takes some effort. Their grassland homes lack elevated perches for singing, so the birds often sing from the concealed grass on or near the ground. Their buzzing songs and soft call notes can be hard to detect at a distance.
The best times to listen for vocalizing LeConte’s sparrows are early in the breeding season around sunrise or sunset when males are most actively singing to attract mates. Seeking out known summering locations like wet meadows, prairie patches, and hayfields in their core range gives you the best chance. Listen for their distinct reedy buzzing from within the grass.
During migration and winter, LeConte’s sparrows occur in more open habitats like saline meadows, weedy fields, and saltmarsh edges. Persistence and a trained ear tuned into their buzzing calls are needed to detect these secretive birds.
Conclusion
In summary, the LeConte’s sparrow is a furtive grassland songbird best known for its unique vocalizations. Its signature song consists of a rising and falling series of very high, thin, buzzy notes. Call notes like the flight note, chip, chatter, upslurred whistle, and rattle call are also distinctive. Males sing their complex songs most actively in early breeding season to attract mates and defend territories. The species uses various call notes year-round for purposes like staying in contact and sounding alarm. With practice, birders can learn to identify the LeConte’s sparrow by detecting its characteristic buzzing, trilling vocalizations in appropriate grassland habitat. Focusing your efforts at the right time of year is key to being able to hear this species’ notoriously elusive sounds.