Rufous-winged Sparrows are small, long-tailed birds with red and gray stripes on the top of their heads and a red line from the back of their eye.
They have a black mustache on their throat while their chests and bellies are plain gray. Their backs are finely-streaked with black and brown, and they have a red patch on their wing.
- Peucaea carpalis
- Length: 15 cm ( 5.75 in)
- Weight: 14 g (0.5 oz)
- Wingspan: 21 cm (8.25 in)
Range
Rufous-winged Sparrows are resident all year in western Mexico and southern Arizona.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Rufous-winged Sparrows year-round in desert grasslands scattered mesquite, acacia, hackberry, and scattered cacti and grasses. You can also find them in washes with sandy bottoms, brushy irrigation canals, and creeks with broad-leaved trees.
Rufous-winged Sparrows typically hop on the ground for food as they collect seeds and insects. They catch insects from branches and may occasionally take a short flight to capture them.
Rufous-winged Sparrow Call/Song:
Nests
Nests of Rufous-winged Sparrows are often built within cacti or thorny bushes. They are made with grass, twigs, and barks lined with softer materials. The female lays two to five eggs that can take up to two weeks to hatch.
Fun Fact:
Rufous-winged Sparrows are small and shy, and you can hardly see them except when the males sing atop perches.
