Sagebrush Sparrow
Artemisiospiza nevadensis
The Sagebrush Sparrow (Artemisiospiza nevadensis) is a uncommon new world sparrow found in 3 countries, weighing about 19 g. The sagebrush sparrow is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows.
About the Sagebrush Sparrow
The sagebrush sparrow is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in Mexico and the United States.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The sagebrush sparrow is about 12 to 15 cm (4.7 to 5.9 in) long and weighs about 15 to 22 g (0.53 to 0.78 oz). Males are larger than females but the sexes have the same plumage. Adults in fresh plumage have a mostly pale to medium gray head and nape. They have dusky gray lores, a white to buff-white patch above them, a white eye-ring, and sometimes a faint white supercilium and dark line behind the eye. They have a white streak below the ear coverts with sometimes a thin black stripe below it. Their back, rump, and uppertail coverts are brownish with fuscous streaks on the back. Voice: Only male sagebrush sparrows sing, and do so throughout the breeding season. The song is described as a "series of short musical buzzes on different frequencies with abrupt beginnings and endings". Males sing from atop a shrub or just below its top. The species' contact call is a "short musical tink" that often is repeated. It also makes a "sharper and shorter" warning call.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada.
When to see it
The Sagebrush Sparrow can be seen all year round, with peak activity in June. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Sagebrush Sparrow?
- The sagebrush sparrow is about 12 to 15 cm (4.7 to 5.9 in) long and weighs about 15 to 22 g (0.53 to 0.78 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Sagebrush Sparrow?
- The Sagebrush Sparrow is a small sized bird weighing about 19 g.
- Where can you see a Sagebrush Sparrow?
- The Sagebrush Sparrow occurs in 3 countries, including the United States and Mexico.
- What birds look similar to a Sagebrush Sparrow?
- The Sagebrush Sparrow is most easily confused with the Bell's Sparrow.
- Is the Sagebrush Sparrow endangered?
- The Sagebrush Sparrow is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
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