Cassin's Sparrow

Photo by Steve Messick

Peucaea cassinii

Aimophila cassinii

Identification

13-15 cm

• Grey brown
• Back appears scalloped
• Grey eyestripe
• Small yellow patch at bend of wing
• White tipped tail
• Dark brown iris
• Upper mandible dark grey brown, lower blue grey
• Dark pink legs
  

Sexes alike

Distribution

Breeds in western Colorado, in the southwest corner of Nebraska, western Kansas and Oklahoma, western half of Texas, south and eastern New Mexico, and far southwestern Arizona as well as much of Mexico.

Winters in southern Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico Accidental vagrant to northeast (New York, Maine, New Jersey and Nova Scotia), midwest (Ohio, Ontario, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan) and in the west (California (several records) and Nevada).

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species¹.

Was formerly placed in genus Aimophila.

Habitat

Dry grasslands with scattered small trees and shrubs.

Behaviour

Diet

The diet includes seeds and insects.

Breeding

Its nest is an open cup made from grass, lined with fine grasses. The clutch consists of 3-5 white eggs.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. 51st supplement to the AOU checklist of North American birds
3. All About Birds

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Cassin's Sparrow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Cassin%27s_Sparrow

External Links

Search for photos of Cassin's Sparrow in the gallery