Clay-colored sparrow

Spizella pallida

The clay-colored sparrow or clay-coloured sparrow (Spizella pallida) is a small New World sparrow of North America.

Family: Passerellidae Order: passerines Conservation: Least Concern

About the Clay-colored sparrow

The clay-colored sparrow or clay-coloured sparrow (Spizella pallida) is a small New World sparrow of North America. Adults have light brown upperparts and pale underparts, with darker streaks on the back. They have a pale crown stripe on a dark brown crown, a white line over the eyes, a dark line through the eyes, a light brown cheek patch and brown wings with wing bars. The short bill is pale with a dark tip and the back of the neck is grey; they have a long tail. Non-breeding adults and immature resemble chipping sparrows and Brewer's sparrows; they often form flocks with these birds outside the nesting season. Their breeding habitat is shrubby open areas and jack pine woods across central Canada and central northern United States east to the Great Lakes, and is expanding further eastwa

Fun Facts About Clay-colored sparrow

The male sings from an open perch to indicate his ownership of the nesting territory.
Three to five splotched blue-green eggs are laid and incubated for 11 days.
Their breeding habitat is shrubby open areas and jack pine woods across central Canada and central northern United States east to the Great Lakes, and is expanding further eastward.
Outside the nesting season, they often feed in small flocks.
Non-breeding adults and immature resemble chipping sparrows and Brewer's sparrows; they often form flocks with these birds outside the nesting season.

Conservation Status

The Clay-colored sparrow is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This species is currently stable and not at significant risk of population decline.

View on IUCN Red List →

Taxonomy & Classification

Order	passerines
Family	Passerellidae
Genus	Spizella
Species	Spizella pallida

Range & Habitat