Henslow's Sparrow
(Ammodramus henslowii)

Overview

Summary

© John Reaume
For additional photos and vocalizations, visit Dendroica. (Link opens in a new window.)

In Canada, the Henslow's Sparrow breeds in very small numbers in grassland habitats in southern Ontario and Quebec. Long-term population data are scarce, but the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario detected a large decrease in occurrence between 1981/85 and 2001/05, and the species is now found only at a few sites in Canada. In 2000, and again in 2011, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed the species as Endangered based on its small population and threats to its habitat (Environment Canada 2006, COSEWIC 2011d). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• BirdLife International / NatureServe
• Breeding Bird Survey (BBS): Relative Abundance and Breeding Distribution (1993-2012)

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation of world population

Conservation and management

The main threat to the Henslow's Sparrow is the loss and degradation of moist, grassy habitats, both on its breeding and wintering ranges (Herkert et al. 2002, Tuininga 2007, COSEWIC 2011d). Habitat management programs have been undertaken in Ontario to increase the area of grassland through shrub removal and mowing (Environment Canada 2006). Prescribed burns have been used on the wintering grounds in the United States to improve and maintain savannah habitats (Herkert et al. 2002). For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view the Recovery Strategy see the SARA Registry.

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage and A.R. Couturier. 2007. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Nature. 728 pp. Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage and A.R. Couturier. 2007. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Nature. 728 pp. (Link)
• COSEWIC. 2011d. COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Henslow's Sparrow Ammodramus henslowii in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. x + 37 pp. COSEWIC. 2011d. COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Henslow's Sparrow Ammodramus henslowii in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. x + 37 pp. (Link)
• Environment Canada. 2006. Recovery Strategy for the Henslow’s Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) in Canada [Proposed]. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. vi + 25 pp. Environment Canada. 2006. Recovery Strategy for the Henslow’s Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) in Canada [Proposed]. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. vi + 25 pp. (Link)
• Herkert, J.R., P.D. Vickery and D.E. Kroodsma. 2002. Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Herkert, J.R., P.D. Vickery and D.E. Kroodsma. 2002. Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
• Tuininga, K. 2007. Henslow's Sparrow. pp. 552-553 in: Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage and A.R. Couturier, Eds. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature, Toronto, Ontario.