Brewer's sparrow is a small, slim species of American sparrow in the family Passerellidae. This bird was named after the ornithologist Thomas Mayo Brewer.
Region
Western North America
Typical Environment
Breeds widely in the interior West from southern Canada through the Great Basin and northern Rockies, favoring extensive sagebrush shrub-steppe. The timberline form occurs in shrubby alpine and boreal edges with willow and dwarf birch. In winter it moves to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, using desert scrub, open chaparral, and weedy fields. It prefers large, relatively unbroken tracts of low to medium-height shrubs with sparse grass and open ground.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3300 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Brewer's sparrow is closely tied to sagebrush habitats and is a hallmark bird of the North American shrub-steppe. Its song is a long, insect-like series of trills and tinkling notes delivered from the tops of shrubs. Habitat loss and degradation of sagebrush ecosystems are key pressures, so it is often used as an indicator of shrub-steppe health.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, undulating flights
Social Behavior
Pairs defend small territories during the breeding season, with males singing from shrub tops. Nests are built low in sagebrush or other shrubs; the cup is constructed of grasses and lined with finer materials. Clutches typically contain 3–4 eggs, and both parents feed the nestlings.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A sustained, insect-like series of buzzy trills and tinkling phrases that can continue for many seconds. The song is high-pitched and dry in quality, delivered from elevated perches. Calls are soft chips and trills used for contact and alarm.
Plumage
Slender, finely streaked gray-brown upperparts with a subtly streaked crown and plain grayish face. Underparts are pale and mostly unstreaked with a slight buff wash on the flanks. Back shows fine dark streaking; tail is relatively long and notched.
Diet
It feeds on small seeds of grasses and forbs for much of the year. During the breeding season it increases intake of insects such as leafhoppers, beetles, caterpillars, and spiders to meet protein demands. It gleans from shrub foliage, picks items from the ground, and occasionally makes short sallies to catch prey. Winter diet shifts back toward seeds, including weedy plants in disturbed areas.
Preferred Environment
Forages within and beneath sagebrush and similar low shrubs, often in open patches with sparse grasses. In winter it uses desert scrub, agricultural edges, and weedy fields near cover.
