- Clay-colored Sparrow
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Clay-colored Sparrow 
Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Emberizidae Genus: Spizella Species: S. pallida Binomial name Spizella pallida
(Swainson, 1832)The Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) is a small sparrow of North America.
Overview
Adults have light brown upperparts and pale underparts, with darker streaks on the back. They have a pale crown stripe on a dark brown crown, a white line over the eyes, a dark line through the eyes, a light brown cheek patch and brown wings with wing bars. The short bill is pale with a dark tip and the back of the neck is grey; they have a long tail. Non-breeding adults and immature resemble Chipping Sparrows and Brewer's Sparrows; they often form flocks with these birds outside of the nesting season.
Their breeding habitat is shrubby open areas and Jack Pine woods across central Canada and central northern United States east to the Great Lakes, and is expanding further eastward. The nest is an open cup on the ground or low in a shrub.
These birds migrate in flocks to southern Texas and Mexico.
They forage on the ground, mainly eating seeds and insects. Outside of the nesting season, they often feed in small flocks. While nesting, these birds may feed far from the nest; feeding areas are not defended.
The male sings from an open perch to indicate his ownership of the nesting territory. The song is a "Bzzzz bzzzz za za".
This bird's nests are often parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird; the nest may be abandoned when this happens.
References
- BirdLife International (2009). "Spizella pallida". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/149707. Retrieved 24 January 2011. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
External links
- Clay-colored Sparrow videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Clay-colored Sparrow Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Clay-colored Sparrow - Spizella pallida - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Clay-colored Sparrow photo gallery VIREO
Categories:- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Spizella
- Birds of North America
- Birds of Canada
- Native birds of the Canadian Prairies
- Birds of the United States
- Native birds of the Plains-Midwest (United States)
- Birds of Mexico
- Birds of Baja Peninsula Mexico
- North American migratory birds
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