Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Flood terrace near New River, Peoria, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA, 21 January 2019.
Chipping sparrows usually do not make their way into Arizona and the Sonoran Desert until nearly the winter solstice. In summer they are characteristic birds across much of North America, including the higher terraine of northern and eastern Arizona, where they tend to occur in open areas at the bondary of wooded areas. Small groups forage for seeds on the ground and quickly take cover in vegetation when threatened. The reddish brown cap is much more prevalent in breeding plumage males.