Swamp Sparrow
Melospiza georgiana
Swamp Sparrow · Constitution Marsh · 17 October 2026
A Swamp Sparrow on a fallen branch hung with dead pine needles at Constitution Marsh. Grey face and collar, rusty wings and a brown-streaked cap: an adult in winter plumage, which loses the clean chestnut crown it wears for breeding. These are birds of reed and cattail, and they rarely stray far from water even on migration.
Raised in the laboratory hearing both their own song and a Song Sparrow's, young Swamp Sparrows picked out and learned only their own, which made them a classic case for the idea that a songbird is born knowing what to listen for.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant, .
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Type to find something, or narrow it by period, place or species.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.