Clay-colored Sparrow, Spizella pallida

Clay-colored Sparrow, Spizella pallida. Photograph taken within a residential community in Alamos, Sonora, February 2018. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

Clay-colored Sparrow, Spizella pallida. Photograph taken within a residential community in Hereford, Arizona, September 2020. Photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Behrstock, Sierra Vista, Arizona (naturewideimages.com).

Background and Identification

The Clay-colored Sparrow, Spizella pallida, is a member of the Passeridae Family of New World Sparrows. Like most sparrows, this species is small and slender and is often noted for its soft, insect-buzzing songs. In the United States, the Clay-colored Sparrow is still the most numerous songbird of shrub communities in the prairies of northern states. New World Sparrows such as the Clay-colored Sparrow are more closely related to Old World Buntings than they are to Old World Sparrows, and are more similar in appearance and habits to finches, with they used to sometimes be classified by ornithologists. In Mexico, this species is known as Chingolo Pálido.

This sparrow features a pale brown and gray overall color, with a distinctive pale gray nape and a clear, unstreaked breast. The are 12.5 cm (4.9 inches) to 14 cm (5.5 inches) in length, with the males being slightly larger than the females.. Their crown is brown with a central dark stripe, and the face has a white supercilium (eyebrow stripe) bordered by a dark brown line through the eye. Its wings are brown with two faint wing bars, and its tail is relatively long and notched. The bird’s small, conical bill is pinkish, which contrasts with its muted feather tones. The Clay-colored Sparrow is often seen in flocks of other sparrow species, so bird watchers will need to look carefully for their slim shape, buffy tones, and very distinct facial lines.

Habitat and Geographical Range

Primarily, the Clay-colored Sparrow inhabits grasslands and shrubby fields of central North America. This species prefers areas with scattered bushes or young trees, which provide the necessary coverage for nesting and foraging. Ornithologists have observed that Clay-colored Sparrows, unlike most species of sparrow, forage away from their breeding territories. Due to this behavior, they have the smallest breeding territory of any Spizella species.

During the breeding season, the Clay-colored Sparrow is commonly found in the northern Great Plains, southern Canada, and parts of the northern United States. It prefers areas with scattered bushes or young trees, which provide the necessary cover for nesting and foraging. In the winter, the Clay-colored Sparrow migrates to southern Texas, Mexico, and Central America, where it occupies similar shrubby habitats. During migration, this sparrow can be seen across a broader range, passing through various parts of the central and eastern United States.

Common Misidentifications

The Clay-colored Sparrow can be easily confused with other members of the Spizella genus, particularly the Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerina, and the Brewer’s Sparrow, Spizella breweri. The Chipping Sparrow has a brighter, more rufous crown during the breeding season and a contrasting black eye stripe, which distinguishes it from the more subdued, pale appearance of the Clay-colored Sparrow. The Brewer’s Sparrow is another close relative in the Passeridae Family and is similar in size and shape. This species tends to have more streaking on the breast plumage and a less distinct facial line.

Conservation Perspective

From a conservation perspective, the Clay-colored Sparrow is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. This species has a wide geographical range in the United States, Canada, and Mexico and is very common within this range. This sparrow thrives among human populations, often sighted near power lines, commercial buildings, communication towers, and roads.