Spizella atrogularis
The Black-chinned Sparrow (*Spizella atrogularis*) is a small, enigmatic New World sparrow, measuring 12-14 cm (4.7-5.5 in) in length with a wingspan of 18-20 cm (7-8 in) and weighing 12-18 g (0.4-0.6 oz). Its most distinctive field mark, particularly in breeding males, is a prominent black chin and upper throat that contrasts sharply with its unstreaked gray breast and head. The back is streaked brownish, and the underparts are pale, often buffy on the flanks. Females and non-breeding males ...
This species primarily inhabits arid and semi-arid scrublands, chaparral, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and sagebrush, often on rocky slopes at elevations typically ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 meters.
Primarily insectivorous during the breeding season, consuming caterpillars, grasshoppers, and beetles. During winter and migration, their diet shifts to seeds from various grasses and forbs, foraged by gleaning from the ground or low vegetation.
Black-chinned Sparrows are generally diurnal, foraging actively during the day and roosting concealed in dense shrubs or low trees at night. During the breeding season, males establish and defend territories with their accelerating, trilling song, often delivered from a prominent perch. Foraging ...
The Black-chinned Sparrow's breeding range extends across much of the arid and semi-arid western United States and Mexico. In the US, it breeds primarily in California (especially the Coast Ranges and southern mountains), Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. Sou...
Least Concern
- Despite its distinctive and often loud song, the Black-chinned Sparrow is notoriously secretive and difficult to observe, frequently remaining hidden deep within dense scrub. - Breeding populations are often found at impressively high altitudes, regularly nesting above 2,000 meters (6,500 feet)...