Petite, trim sparrow with a small bill, slender body, and fairly long, notched tail. Mostly a pale, tan-and-gray bird with a contrasting face pattern. The pale gray collar is a helpful mark at all times of year.
Petite sparrow with a small bill. The broad, buffy eyebrow, pale area in front of the eye, pale mustache, and gray collar are good field marks. Note pale central crown stripe.
Song is a simple series of 2–8 high buzzes, sounding very insectlike.
Small sparrow with a small bill. Note broad buffy eyebrow, pale mustache, and gray collar.
Petite sparrow with a small bill. Note pale area in front of the eye and gray collar.
At the eastern edge of their range, look for them in Christmas tree farms and grassy areas with short, scattered conifers.
Breeds in shrublands, field edges, and thickets across the northern prairies. Winters in desert grasslands, upland plains, thorn scrub, fields, and brushy hillsides.
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Clay-colored Sparrows are petite, trim sparrows with a small bill, slender body, and fairly long, notched tail. The small, slender shape of these and other Spizella sparrows is distinctive.
About the size of a Chipping Sparrow; slightly smaller than a Song Sparrow.
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