Black-throated Sparrow

Overview

Black-throated Sparrow: Medium sparrow, gray-brown upperparts, white underparts, black bib. Head has dark gray cap and sharply contrasting white eyebrow and cheek stripe. Bill is black. Long, round-tipped tail is edged with white. Legs and feet are gray. Forages on the ground and in low vegetation.

Range and Habitat

Black-throated Sparrow: Breeds from northeastern California, southwestern Wyoming, and southeastern Colorado southward. Spends winters north to the desert regions of the southern U.S. Preferred habitats include deserts and scrublands.

INTERESTING FACTS

Altered fire regimes have caused declining habitat quality throughout their range. Frequent, cool-burning fires produce the best combination of open areas and short shrubs, but fires are now both less frequent and hotter.
The Black-throated Sparrow is also known as the Desert Sparrow, due to its preferred habitat of arid desert scrub. They can survive long periods of time without water, obtaining moisture from the seeds and insects that make up their diet.
The start of the breeding season is determined by the onset of midsummer rains in the desert, with second broods common in years with plentiful rainfall. Nests started later in the season have a greater chance of being parasitized by Bronzed and Brown-headed Cowbirds
A group of sparrows has many collective nouns, including a "crew", "flutter", "meinie", "quarrel", and "ubiquity" of sparrows.

The Black-throated Sparrow is a small bird native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. Its habitat in the United States includes northeastern California, southwestern Wyoming, and southeastern Colorado. Those which live further north may migrate short distances to the desert regions of the southern United States during winter months. This species is also known as the Desert Sparrow, as it prefers arid and dry desert hillsides and shrubs for breeding and nesting. They are foragers, and typically eat insects and seeds. When traveling, the Black-throated Sparrow may be found in small colonies. Currently, its conservation status is Least Concern.