A towhee-like sparrow with a long tail and heavy bill. Adults are grayish below and olive above with brown crown stripes.
Adults are brownish gray overall and have an unmarked belly. Note the whiter throat.
Sings an accelerating series of chips that sounds similar to a ping-pong ball.
Along the Pacific and Atlantic slope, some individuals farther south have darker head stripes and are a darker olive above than individuals farther north.
Often holds its tail up or gently flicks it while hopping along the ground.
Individuals along the Pacific slope have darker and more chestnut-colored crown stripes than individuals in Texas and those along the Atlantic slope.
Tends to stay in dense cover on or near the ground.
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A medium-sized sparrow with a rotund belly, a thick neck, and a long tail. The bill is heavy and slightly longer than in other sparrows.
Larger than a Chipping Sparrow, smaller than a Spotted Towhee.
sparrow-sized or smallerColor of head stripes varies across its range, with those farther south having darker head stripes.
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