Overview
The Sage Sparrow is a medium-sized bird ranging from 12 15 cm in length. It is generally brownish-gray in color with a grayer head and a more brown-colored back and wings. Some distinctive features of the Sage Sparrow include a white eye ring, a white spot in front of the eye, white streaks along the side of the lower jaw, and sometimes a white streak in the middle of its forehead. The Sage Sparrows under parts are mostly white with a contrasting much darker blackish, brown tail. The Sage Sparrow is also known for the frequent upward jerk of its tail and its light, metallic call. Juveniles are more streaked on the lower body than adults (Martin and Carlson 1998).
Citations:
- Martin, John W. and Barbara A. Carlson. 1998. Sage Sparrow (Amphispiza belli), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/326
Scientific Name
Artemisiospiza belli
Common Name
Bell's Sparrow
Sage Sparrow
FWS Category
Birds