Sagebrush Sparrows are medium-sized birds that are easier to recognize than other sparrows. Their head is gray with a white patch in front of their eyes. Their back has streaks of dark brown, and they have a dark-gray stripe on their throats. Their chests and bellies are white with a dark spot in the center.
- Artemisiospiza nevadensis
- Length: 16 cm (6.25 in)
- Weight: 20 g (0.7 oz)
- Wingspan: 21 cm. (8.25 in)
Range
Sagebrush Sparrows are found inland in western US states. They breed in more northern areas and migrate south for winter. Some may remain all year in the middle of their range.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Sagebrush Sparrows among undisturbed sagebrush and other shrubs. In winter, they migrate to brushy saltbush lands and other desert-like areas
During the summer, Sagebrush Sparrows eat plenty of spiders and insects like ants, grasshoppers, and beetles. They also feed on seeds of grasses and weeds.
Sagebrush Sparrows Song:
Nests
Nests of Sagebrush Sparrows are found within sagebrush or saltbush. They are built low to the ground and made out of twigs and sticks, and lined with grass and weeds. Females lay three to four eggs that hatch within sixteen days. The young leave their nest around eleven days after hatching.
Fun Fact:
Sagebrush Sparrows will return to their successful “tried and tested” breeding sites every year.
