General

Sage Sparrow: Medium-sized sparrow with dark-streaked brown back and white underparts with central breast spot and streaks on sides. Gray head has small white patch in front of eye. White throat is interrupted by a thick, dark moustache stripe. Wings are brown with two faint bars. Tail is long and dark with thin, white edges. Coastal form is darker. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is duller and more heavily streaked.

Range and Habitat

Sage Sparrow: Breeds from Washington south to Baja California and throughout the Great Basin. Spends winters in small flocks in low desert of southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas, south into Mexico. Found in sagebrush flats, alkaline flats with saltbush, and semi-desert shrublands in the lowlands.

Breeding and Nesting

Sage Sparrow: Two to five pale blue eggs marked with dark brown and black are laid in a loose cup of sagebrush pieces, twigs, grass, and bark chips and lined with grass, forbs, feathers, fur, and seeds. Nest is well hidden in a shrub, usually less than 4 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 12 to 16 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Sage Sparrow: Feeds on insects and seeds; forages mainly on the ground.

Readily Eats

Sunflower Seed, Commercial Mixed Bird Seed

Vocalization

Sage Sparrow: Song is a series of phrases with a seesaw rhythm, "twee-si-tity-slip." Call is a high faint note "tik" or "tik-tik."

Similar Species

Sage Sparrow: Black-throated Sparrow has a black throat.