Brewer's Sparrow
Spizella breweri
Small, drab sparrow of scrubby areas in western North America, from Alaska to Mexico. Slender and long-tailed, similar in shape and size to Chipping and Clay-colored Sparrows. Note the pale gray nape, pale lores, and plain facial pattern. Breeds mostly in sagebrush; winters in loose flocks in any brushy or grassy area, often with other sparrows. Song is a long series of buzzy, reedy notes mixed with trills; tones and long duration of song are unique.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Spizella breweri
- Authority
- Cassin, 1856
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Genus
- Spizella
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- NA : wc
- Non-breeding range
- to c Mexico
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
These birds migrate to the southwestern United States south to central Mexico. These birds forage primarily in shrubs or in low vegetation, but also on the ground. They mainly eat insects in summer with seeds becoming a more important part of the diet at other times of the year. They usually forage in flocks outside of the breeding season, sometimes with other sparrows. The female typically lays three to four eggs (up to five) in a cup nest in low shrubs.<p>Brewer's sparrow has decreased in some parts of its range. Causes are not well understood, but it is suspected that the decline is due at least in part to destruction of sagebrush habitat. Additional information on resource use and limitation during the wintering season is desperately needed. When the timberline sparrow was still considered a good species, Brewer's sparrow was classified as near threatened by the IUCN. However, as only entire species are evaluated for the IUCN Red List, following the merger the entire population of S. breweri is classified as species of least concern.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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Nauru Reed Warbler
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A medium-sized warm brown reed warbler with a thin straight bill and very rounded wings. Head, shoulders, and back are rufous tinted. Shows a strong pale eyebrow. Found in gardens, coastal scrub, and escarpment forest. Voice little known, but song apparently melodious and thrush-like.
Brown-tailed Chat
Oenanthe scotocerca
A remarkably drab brown bird with slightly paler underparts. Key features include the dark brown tail and the pale, unmarked undertail coverts. Found very locally in rocky areas with bushes and trees. Perches up in trees, but feeds on the ground. Very similar to Sombre Rock Chat, and best distinguished by the pale and unmarked undertail. Also very similar to Blackstart, but has a dark brown rather than black tail. The calls are sparrow-like chirps, and the song is a high-pitched warbling reminiscent of Yellow-bellied Eremomela’s song.
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