Black-throated Sparrow

A clipped opening note snaps into a dry churr and a short finishing note. This version sounds compact and mechanical rather than sweet and tinkling.

Many birds stay year-round across the deserts of the southwestern U.S. and much of Mexico. Some northern birds shift around seasonally, especially after breeding or when food changes.

Dry, open country is its sweet spot. Look in desert scrub, sagebrush flats, rocky washes, and thorny shrublands with plenty of bare ground.

Spring is the easiest time to find them, when males sing from exposed perches in the cool morning light. In hot weather they can go quiet and low, slipping through shrubs and feeding on the ground.

A crisp little desert sparrow with a bold black throat, bright white stripes on the face, and a neat gray back. It often pops into view on a cactus, shrub, or fence wire, looking clean-cut and striking even in dusty country.