Rufous-winged Sparrow
Peucaea carpalis
Subtly marked sparrow with a poor name; "rufous wing" is restricted to a tiny, barely visible patch on the shoulder. Gray head and neck with peaked rufous crown and rufous eyeline. Stout pink bill. Sides are buff and unstreaked on adults. Back and wings are also buffy with fine markings. Paler throat is edged with thin dark lines. Primarily a Mexican species with very limited range in the U.S.; found in pairs or small flocks in brushy grasslands. Variable song usually composed of a few clear tinkling notes and trills.
Identification
The back is brown with darker streaks, while the belly is pale gray. The wings and crown are rust-colored. This sparrow has a conical, yellow-based bill and a long brown tail.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Peucaea carpalis
- Authority
- Coues, 1873
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Genus
- Peucaea
Range and habitat
Peucaea carpalis is a year-round resident from south-central Arizona and Guadalupe Canyon, New Mexico, south to northern Sinaloa, Mexico.<p>The rufous-winged sparrow inhabits desert grasslands with scattered mesquite or cholla. It also occurs in washes with sandy bottoms and vegetated slopes, brushy irrigation ditches, and creeks bordered by broad-leaved trees, mesquite, grasses, and forbs.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Nilgiri Flycatcher
Eumyias albicaudatus
Entirely indigo-blue male is unique; Verditer Flycatcher is brighter blue and more elongated. Female Nilgiri is gray overall, though can sometimes show a bluish tinge in good lighting. Song consists of a lengthy series of various whistles and warbled notes, typically given from an exposed perch by both sexes. Sallies from perches in hill forest and forest edge; most common above 1200 meters.
Ochraceous Attila
Attila torridus
Bright, tawny flycatcher with a hooked bill. Nearly endemic to western Ecuador, just barely reaching Peru and Colombia. Upperparts and breast are orange-brown, belly is yellow, and wings are dark with brown wingbars. Inhabits rainforest as well as lighter, more disturbed woodland. Usually found perched at mid-levels in the trees, and often pumps its tail. Typical song is a series of about five loud, rising whistles followed by “purr-whip!”
Blue-fronted Redstart
Phoenicurus frontalis
Male is unmistakable, with his orange breast, belly, and tail and ultramarine-blue head and back. Female is brown with no wingbars and an orange tail and lower belly; watch out for the unique upside-down black ‘T’ on her tail. The species breeds in brushy open subalpine areas and winters in foothills in scrubby areas, field edges, and gardens. Like many other redstarts, often perches visibly, bobbing tail up and down. Song is a series of pleasant warbles and bubbly buzzing. Calls include a distinctive wet ticking, often preceded by a quiet whistled note.
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