- Spizella breweri
Includes: Timberline Sparrow
Identification
Adult
- Grey-brown streaked back
- Brown streaked crown
- Pale eye-ring
- Pale wing bars
- Pale grey underparts
- Pale bill with a dark tip
- Long notched tail
Similar Species
Clay-colored Sparrow: which has a pale stripe on the crown and a grey neck patch
Distribution
United States, Canada and Central America:
Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Yukon
United States: New England, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Massachusetts, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Central America: Mexico, Baja California
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
- S. b. breweri:
- British Columbia and Alberta to south-western US; winters to Baja California and central Mexico
- S. b. taverneri: (Timberline)
- South-western Yukon and north-western British Columbia to south-eastern British Columbia and south-western Alberta
Subspecies taverneri is sometimes considered a separate species Timberline Sparrow[2]
Habitat
Sagebrush, deserts and weedy fields.
Behaviour
They flock with other sparrow species in the winter.
Diet
Ground foragers, the diet consists of insects and seeds.
Breeding
The clutch consists of 3 to 5 eggs which are laid in a cup nest in low shrubs.
Vocalisation
Song is a long varied mix of notes and trills.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Avibase
- Wikipedia
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Brewer's Sparrow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 December 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Brewer%27s_Sparrow
