Similar Species
Because Brewer’s Sparrow has few obvious field marks, they can be readily confused with other sparrows (especially in winter), or overlooked altogether among more distinctive species. It’s helpful to consider habitat in these cases: Brewer’s Sparrows in winter are almost exclusively in desert grasslands of the Southwest and Mexico. They often form mixed flocks with other sparrows, where similarities with Clay-colored Sparrow and Chipping Sparrow can cause confusion. Clay-colored Sparrow tends to be brighter and more contrastingly patterned than Brewer’s Sparrow. It tends to be found in a broader range of vegetation and tolerates more treed areas. Look especially for Clay-colored’s buffier tones on the face, a clear, pale stripe over the eye, and a contrasting gray nape. In fall and winter, Chipping Sparrows tend to show a strong dark eyeline that goes all the way through the eye to meet the bill, and stronger wingbars than Brewer’s Sparrow.
Regional Differences
Brewer’s Sparrows that live among subalpine trees and shrubs at high elevations in mountains of Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska, and some parts of the northwestern U.S., are a separate subspecies (S. b. taverneri, often known as the “Timberline Sparrow”). They differ from birds in the rest of their range in having darker upperparts and bills, with more contrast to the underparts and facial pattern.
Find This Bird
Brewer’s Sparrows are habitat specialists, so the first step in finding them is to find their habitat. In spring or early summer, head out into the sagebrush early in the morning and listen for a male to sing his long, trilled song. You may also spot a small, gray-brown bird unobtrusively foraging within or on the ground below a clump of sagebrush. In winter, visit desert grasslands, where there are sometimes large flocks of several species of sparrows, including Brewer’s.