ID Keys: Bold white eyering and white whisker stripe, pale above and white
below, black spot on center of chest
The
Sagebrush Sparrow is found in many open brushy habitats of the interior West.
Until 2014, the Sagebrush Sparrow and the similar
Bell's Sparrow were considered one species,
called the Sage Sparrow. However, there are plumage and other differences,
and the Sagebrush Sparrow is much grayer and paler than the Bell's Sparrow.
Range differences also exist, with the Bell's Sparrow found primarily in
California and Baja California, while the Sagebrush Sparrow is found across many
western states. While the Sagebrush Sparrow breeds as close as central
Wyoming, they are only very rare visitors to South Dakota.
Habitat
Breeds
in open brushy country, in sagebrush habitats as well as brushy stands of
saltbush, chamise, and other low shrubs of the arid West. They winter in
open flats, deserts, and dry chaparral of the Southwest.
Diet
Eats many insects, especially during the summer
months. Will also feed on seeds.
Behavior
Primarily forages on the ground,
sometimes low in brush and shrubs.
Breeding
No confirmed breeding has occurred in
South Dakota. On their breeding grounds, the female builds a cup-shaped nest of
twigs and grasses, lined with fine grasses and sometimes rootlets, feathers,
hair, and lichen. The female lays 2-4 eggs, and incubates them for about 2
weeks. The young fledge from the nest about 10 days after hatching.
Song
A high-pitched series of musical phrases
Migration
Some birds may be semi-permanent residents, but most birds move southward into the deserts of the
southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico for the winter.
Bell's
Sparrow. Visually Sagebrush Sparrow and Bell's
Sparrow are extremely difficult to distinguish from each other. Some
Bell's Sparrows, particularly those that breed near the coast in California, are
darker overall, but Bell's Sparrows further to the east are paler and are much
more similar in appearance to Sagebrush Sparrows. Range differences are
the most obvious means of distinguishing between the two species, but note there
is overlap in wintering birds in western Arizona and nearby locations.
Bird Feeders
Will occasionally come to feeders
for baby chicken scratch feed.
Conservation Status
Given the extreme decline in sagebrush habitats in the
western US, declines may be
expected, and recent trends show some declines are occurring. However, they are
still found across a broad geographic region, and they are somewhat common in
parts of their range.
The IUCN considers the Sagebrush Sparrow to be a species of "Least Concern".
