A small gray-brown sparrow specialized for Great Basin sagebrush.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The sagebrush sparrow is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in Mexico and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia — Sagebrush sparrow Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Pale gray head, bold white eye ring, dark central breast spot, faint malar stripe, and a faintly streaked back. Paler and grayer than Bell's Sparrow.
Similar species. Bell's Sparrow is darker with an unstreaked back and bolder malar; the two are best separated by range and habitat.
Voice. A high, tinkling, slightly buzzy song similar to Bell's Sparrow.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Seeds (primary), insects (especially during breeding).
Behavior. An interior sagebrush sparrow, recently split from Bell's Sparrow; runs along the ground tail-up between shrubs in big-sagebrush flats.
§ Range
Great Basin
§ Habitat
Sagebrush habitats
§ Threats
Sagebrush loss to invasive cheatgrass.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the sagebrush sparrow is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support sagebrush conservation.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Sagebrush sparrow
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Artemisiospiza nevadensis
- IUCN Red List — search for Artemisiospiza nevadensis
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Artemisiospiza nevadensis
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
