Where does the Florida grasshopper sparrow make its nest?

The Florida grasshopper sparrow (pictured) is a small New World sparrow that is one of 9 species, mainly passerine birds, sometimes known as perching or songbirds. Typically the bird inhabits grasslands and prairies.

While the conservation status classified by the International Union for the Conservation Nature for the grasshopper sparrow (Latin scientific classification name from the Linnaeus system- ‘Ammodramus savannarum’) is ‘Least Concern’, the Florida grasshopper sparrow, a subspecies (‘Ammodramus savannarum floridanus’) is currently classified as ‘Endangered’. This subspecies is native to the dry prairies of south central Florida.

Based on population trends, the species had been slated to possibly become extinct in the wild as soon as 2018-2019. Recent updates reported in ‘National Geographic’ indicate that conservation efforts are having some success.

Though some migratory grasshopper sparrows are distributed throughout parts of both North and South America, the Florida grasshopper sparrow is a non-migratory species, and is thus limited in distribution.

Their nests are a well-concealed open cup on the ground under vegetation. Between April and August, they are known to nest at the base of small shrub or a lump of grass on the ground. Their nests are constructed of available plant matter nearby, which mainly consists of the leaves of bluestem and wire grass. The bird forages on the ground mainly eating insects, especially grasshoppers and seeds.