Sagebrush Sparrow
Artemisiospiza nevadensis
Pale, subtly-patterned sparrow. Sandy-brown overall with gray head and whitish breast with dark central spotting. Very similar to Bell’s Sparrow and once considered the same species. Sagebrush Sparrow is usually paler and less contrasty overall. Also look for Sagebrush's relatively indistinct and narrow dark mustache stripe and distinct dark streaks on pale brown back. Found in shrubby expanses of sagebrush in western North America (more extensive range than Bell’s, essentially only overlapping in winter). Perches up conspicuously when singing; otherwise stays low and hidden. Frequently runs on the ground, often with tail cocked up. Song is a jumble of mechanical, musical notes, slower than Bell's Sparrow.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Artemisiospiza nevadensis
- Authority
- (Ridgway, 1874)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Genus
- Artemisiospiza
Range and habitat
Sagebrush sparrows are indeed often tied to sagebrush habitats, although they can also be found in brushy stands of saltbush, chamise, and other low shrubs of the arid interior west.<p>The species breeds in the interior of the Western United States (between the Rocky Mountains and the coastal ranges such as the Cascades). It winters in the Mexican-border states and northern Sonora and Chihuahua.<p>The habitat of sagebrush sparrows is frequently threatened by woody plant encroachment or the invasion of herbaceous plants.
- Breeding range
- NA : wc USA
- Non-breeding range
- sw USA and n Mexico
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rhinoceros Hornbill
Buceros rhinoceros
Majestic and stately inhabitant of mature lowland and foothill forests. Pitch black with a white tail marked by a single dark bar. Enormous bill is bright orange with a prominent casque that is short and rectangular in females, long and upswept in males. Often seen in powerful flight over forests, typically in pairs or small groups. Gives low, resonant calls, usually in series: either a single-syllabled “rohh” or a disyllabic “roh-ow.”
Sulawesi Hornbill
Rhabdotorrhinus exarhatus
A small hornbill that is mostly black, including on the tail. Female is entirely black with a blackish-gray bill; male has a conspicuous cream-colored face and a pale bill. Juvenile looks like a male with a smaller bill. Found in groups at middle to upper levels of lowland and foothill forests. Notably smaller than Knobbed Hornbill, and differs in the black tail, the lack of a prominent casque, and the pale face of males. Noisy vocalizations include an excited, bracing series of notes sometimes given in an extended sequence: “kerok-tee-kerok-tee-kerok-tee-tee…”.
Desert Cisticola
Cisticola aridulus
Small, pale brown, heavily-streaked cisticola. Plumage is darker in breeding plumage, washed-out in non-breeding plumage. Found in dry, open grasslands, including open stretches within savanna. Song is a mix of high-pitched peeps, scratchy lower notes, and “tic” notes. Extremely similar to Zitting Cisticola. Best distinguished by song, though subtle plumage differences include Desert’s more uniformly blackish tail and slightly streaked rufous rump.
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