Cassin’s Sparrows are gray and brown with fine streaks on their head and throat. Their eyes have a white outline with a dark brown line extending from them. Their chest and bellies are lightly streaked with brown. Some birds have reddish tones.
- Peucaea cassinii
- Length: 15 cm (6 in)
- Weight: 20 g (0.7 oz)
- Wingspan: 23 cm (9 in)
Range
Cassin’s Sparrows can be found in central US states and Mexico. Those further north in the range migrate short distances south for winter.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Cassin’s Sparrows in semi-arid environments like deserts, and grasslands with yucca, mesquite, oak, and acacia trees, and shrubs. They prefer tall, dense grass for nesting and protection for their fledglings while they need proper perches on which to launch for flight and to display their melodious singing.
Cassin’s Sparrows feast on grasshoppers, caterpillars and beetles, and other small insects during summer. In winter, they mostly eat seeds from grasses and weeds.
Cassin’s Sparrow Song:
Nests
Nests of Cassin’s Sparrows are often concealed amid tall grass. The nests are tunnel-like, made of grass, rootlets, flowers, and animal hair, and placed on the ground or at the bottom of the cacti. There may be three to five eggs in a nest that takes about two weeks to hatch. Both parents incubate their eggs.
Fun Fact:
The male Cassin’s Sparrow may be plain and drab, but they make up for it in flair with their “skylarking”. They fly in the air and glide down while singing their song during the breeding season.
