SPARROWS

 Kingdom - ANIMALIA     Phylum - CHORDATA     

Subphylum - VERTEBRATA     Class - AVES    

Order - PASSERIFORMES  Family -EMBERIZIDAE 

Subfamily - EMBERIZINAE 

Chondestes grammacus strigatus

Description: 6" No dimorphism. Head-Crown stripe from beak to top of back, chestnut stripes below crown stripes, buffy stripes below chestnut stripe just above eye, thin black stripe front and back of eye, semi-eye ring below eye, chestnut cheek patch, white upper jaw line, black foo man chu mustache, white throat; Back-mostly black and brown; Wing-brown with indistinct whitish wing bars; Chest-white to light gray with black breast spot; Tail-mostly black and brown with outside feathers white.

Voice: Call a metallic tink, various sequences of trills, notes, buzzes, and pauses make up song.

Habitat: Areas populated with bushes and trees for perching but open enough to allow ground foraging. Parks are a frequent hangout. Always found in flocks.

Food: Insects, grains and grasses.

Nesting: Ground or low bush nest lined with hair and fine material. Lays 3-5 spotted, white eggs.

Range: Found throughout Kern County, common in winter resident in the valleys. Rare in summer in the valley. Breeds in the mountain areas.

Status: Protected under the Migratory Bird Act Treaty.

Sound recording courtesy of Doug Von Gausig at   Digitally Recorded Sounds from Nature.

Other Birds of Kern County Pages

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Green Heron

Lark Sparrow