BREWER S SPARROW 1215 



note given as "tsip" (Rockwell and Wetmore, 1914). L. Griscom 

 (1928b) notes that "the call note was a weak one for a spaiTow," 

 and he describes it as about halfway between those of the Savannah 

 and field sparrows. 



Field marks. — This species is a small, pale, grayish-brown sparrow 

 of a very nondescript nature. The upper parts are brownish, streaked 

 evenly with black on the back, hind neck, and scapulars. The top 

 of the head is finely streaked, the side of the head unstreaked. The 

 greater wing coverts are tipped with buffy white, which forms an 

 indistinct wing bar. The tail is long and notched. The underparts 

 of adults are unstreaked. The sexes are similar. The crown shows 

 no hint of the rufous found in chipping sparrows. The adult clay- 

 colored sparrow is similar except for a light stripe through the center 

 of its crown and a well-marked cheek pattern, both of which Brewer's 

 sparrow lacks. The juvenal plumage is similar to the adult but is 

 less sharply streaked above, and the chest may be streaked with a 

 dusky color. 



R. T. Peterson (1961) points out it "resembles Chipping Sparrow 

 but sandier, crown finely streaked, no hint of rufous or median hne. 

 Young Chipping and Clay-colored Sparrows in fall or winter might 

 be confused with it, but their crowns are usually browner with a 

 pale median line." 



Enemies. — Little is known about this aspect of Brewer's sparrow's 

 biology, although undoubtedly indi^^duals are exposed to about the 

 same attacks by predatory animals as other small sparrows. Allan 

 R. Phillips tells me that he collected a "red racer" with a still undigest- 

 ed Brewer's sparrow in its stomach at Cofer Hot Springs, Mohave 

 County, Ariz., about Sept. 23, 1948. Phillips had noticed two or 

 three breweri in the top of a sparsely leaved, half dead bush, and then 

 turned away for a few minutes. On his return he saw the snake 

 stretched out among the upper branches about 1 or 1}^ meters from 

 the ground. Because he did not witness the capture, he was unable 

 to state where the snake actually caught the bird. 



H. Friedmann (1963) writes: "Brewer's sparrow is a poorly known 

 victim of the brown-headed cowbird. It has been recorded in this 

 capacity only in Wyoming and New Mexico." 



Distribution 

 Timberline Brewer's Sparrow (S. b. tavemeri) 



Range. — Southwestern Yukon and western Alberta to Arizona, New 

 Mexico, and western Texas. 



Breeding range. — The timberhne Brewer's sparrow breeds in moun- 

 tains of western Canada from southwestern Yukon (Kluane), north- 



