LeConte's Sparrow
LeConte's Sparrow has declined: down 45% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the LeConte's Sparrow
The LeConte's Sparrow (Ammospiza leconteii) is a North American member of the New World Sparrows (Passerellidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the grassland birds.
- Size
- 4.5–7.5 in long (12–19 cm) — a small songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open grasslands, prairie, pasture and hayfields.
- Diet
- Seeds and insects gathered from grasses and the ground.
- Range
- Recorded on 120 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 6 states, most concentrated in the Boreal Hardwood Transition.
- Family
- Passerellidae · Grassland birds
Notable LeConte's Sparrow Trends
No notable trend signals for LeConte's Sparrow. See the full index history below.
LeConte's Sparrow Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, LeConte's Sparrow is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.03 (95% range 0.00–0.07). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±568.5%, with 0% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| 2026 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| 2027 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| 2028 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| 2029 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
Where the LeConte's Sparrow Is Detected
BBS routes recording LeConte's Sparrow, sized by most recent count.
LeConte's Sparrow Population Trend by State
| Michigan | -64% | 1971 | 9 |
| Minnesota | +170% | 1969 | 40 |
| Montana | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| North Dakota | -78% | 1970 | 35 |
| South Dakota | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Wisconsin | -76% | 1969 | 29 |
LeConte's Sparrow Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Prairie Potholes | -79% | 1970 | 45 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | -25% | 1969 | 49 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | -24% | 1969 | 18 |
LeConte's Sparrow Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 45% since 1969. Grassland birds are North America's steepest-declining group, down roughly 50% since 1970 as prairie and pasture were lost.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.