Southeast Arizona is home to one of the most striking sparrows in the US, and unlike a lot of those “little brown jobs,” it’s easy to identify! The Black-throated Sparrow has a dapper gray face, two bright white eyebrows and moustache stripes, and that big black throat and bib that set it apart from the rest. It’s fairly common, but surprisingly seems a bit overlooked here, possibly because it’s not a specialty bird limited to the Sonoran Desert. Its range extends from eastern Washington to western Texas, and down into northern and central Mexico. Throughout these areas it’s a denizen of arid desert scrub and is well-equipped to deal with hot and dry conditions—it’s also known as the Desert Sparrow. The Black-throated Sparrow can survive long periods without water and obtains moisture from the seeds and insects it eats. It’s also not a prolific singer, so detecting its high-pitched, tinkling calls and quiet, trilled song can sometimes be difficult, further adding to its obscurity.
Depending on where it lives, the Black-throated Sparrow can be a permanent resident or a migrating species. Only three of the nine subspecies migrate, those breeding the farthest north have the longest journey, while some birds simply move down elevationally for the winter. Our birds in Southeast Arizona seem to be permanent residents. Females build nests low in vegetation favoring catclaw acacia and jumping cholla, and during courtship and nest-building, territories tend to be large, shrinking to a smaller area right around the nest once the young hatch. Monsoon rains in summer can prolong the breeding season and often a second brood is produced.
Black-throated Sparrows prefer native desert habitat, so they’re not seen in urban Tucson very often. Take a walk in Tucson Mountain Park, Saguaro National Park, or our Mason Center and you’re bound to find some Desert Sparrows!
Image by Martin Molina
