Tag Archives: Ammodramus maritimus

Ammodramus maritimus ssp. nigrescens

Dusky Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus ssp. nigrescens)

The Dusky Seaside Sparrow was a dark-colored subspecies of the Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus (Wilson)) that inhabited an area that stretches from New England to Florida.

The form disappeared from most of its former area due to habitat destruction and the use of DDT; the last remaining populations survived on Merritt Island and in the St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge in Brevard County, Florida.

There were some efforts to save the form, however, they all failed. The photo below shows the last known surviving individual named “Orange Band”; it died on June 18, 1987 in captivity.

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Photo: P. W. Sykes

(public domain)

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edited: 02.05.2021