What kind of sparrows lives in Maryland?

Answer 1

This questions is not as simple as it may appear at first glance. First, when speaking about bird distribution you must consider how much of the year a give species live in a place. You also must decided what birds are defined as "sparrows", and how many sparrows species there actually are.

In Maryland (USA), there are 18 Sparrow species that regularly are resident all year long or live here in the Summer or Winter only. There are probably 2-3 species that migrate through the State. Any there are records of some western sparrow species that have occasionally be found here on rare occasions.

of the 18 regular Sparrow species, I've included Towhee, Snow Bunting and Dark-eyed Juncos, that are considered by some people to be sparrows, while others might not.

Finally, some of the 18 sparrow species in Maryland could be split into more than one species. Examples Towhees, Juncos, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow and Harris Sparrow, Sharp-tailed Sparrows.

Interestingly, the most common species of "sparrow" - the House Sparrow that everyone sees around towns and cities is NOT actually a sparrow and isn't even from the United States! It is a European species that came to the United States in the 1800. It is very aggressive and has contributed to the decline of native bird species and native Sparrows.

The best way to learn about the Sparrows in Maryland is to get a field guide to the birds of Eastern North America, or even better, contact your local Audubon Society to go out on free Birdwatching walks throughout the year.