Sage sparrow Amphispiza belli

Identification Tips:

• Length: 5 inches
• Dark, conical bill
• White supraloral spot
• Broken eye ring
• White throat with black whisker
• Gray crown, back and wings
• Dark streaks on back (variable)
• White underparts with blurry streaks on flanks and dark spot on breast
• Long, dark tail with small amount of white on outer tail feathers
• Birds from California have darker upperparts
• Sexes similar
• Juvenile (Spring to Fall) much browner, streaked below with faint adult face pattern

Similar species:

The Black-throated sparrow somewhat similar but has black throat. Juvenile similar to juvenile Black-throated Sparrow but has indistinct supercilium. Local (southeastern Arizona) Five-striped Sparrow has gray breast and flanks and black malar streak.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.