Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Learn to identify the Rufous-crowned Sparrow by ear. Master the "see-see-see, sree-sree-sree" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Rufous-crowned Sparrow sounds like
The song skips and tumbles through clipped notes, tiny liquid burbles, and flashes of clearer tone.
How to tell it apart
Where you'll hear it
A year-round resident in parts of the southwestern United States and much of Mexico. Most birds stay close to home instead of making long migrations.
Dry, rocky slopes with scattered shrubs, bunchgrasses, chaparral, and desert foothills. It likes open ground with cover close by, especially on hillsides, canyons, and scrubby ridges.
Spring is the best time to notice one, when males sing from rocks, fence posts, or low shrubs. In fall and winter, they go quieter and can seem to melt into the hillside.
How to recognize it by sight
A trim little sparrow of sun-baked hillsides, with a rusty crown and cool gray face that glow against dry grass and stone. It keeps low and sneaky, then suddenly hops onto a rock or shrub to pour out a sweet, ringing song.
Similar species
Chipping Sparrow
Shows a sharper black eye-line and bright white eyebrow, not a plain gray face.
Canyon Towhee
Much larger and chunkier, with a heavier bill and longer tail.
Black-chinned Sparrow
Male shows a dark face and black chin, giving a much bolder look.