How long do savannah sparrows live?

Longevity records come from birds that were marked and later found again, usually through bird banding, or from birds kept in zoos. They show what a Savannah Sparrow can survive to, not what most do. This one comes from captivity, where there are no predators, storms or food shortages, so wild savannah sparrows rarely come close.

For small birds, the first year is the hardest. Many eggs and nestlings are lost to predators and weather, and young birds that leave the nest still have to learn to find food and avoid hawks and cats. A bird that survives its first winter has a much better chance of living several more years. That is why average lifespans in the wild are short even when the record is long.

Savannah sparrows usually start breeding at about 1 year old. Each season a pair lays 2–6 eggs and raises 1–3 per season, with eggs taking 10–13 days to hatch.

Oldest recorded ages for other new world sparrows on this site.

• White-throated Sparrow14.9 years
• White-crowned Sparrow13.3 years
• California Towhee12.8 years
• Canyon Towhee12.8 years
• Eastern Towhee12.3 years
• Chipping Sparrow11.8 years

• Savannah Sparrow: identification, diet and range
• Baby savannah sparrows: eggs, nestlings and fledglings