Sagebrush Sparrow

The sagebrush sparrow (Artemisiospiza nevadensis) is a medium-sized sparrow of the western United States and northwestern Mexico. It used to be placed in the genus Amphispiza, but evidence from 2007 and 2009 suggested it be placed in its own genus. Sagebrush sparrows are indeed often tied to sagebrush habitats, although they can also be found in brushy stands of saltbush, chamise, and other low shrubs of the arid interior west. The species breeds in the interior of the Western United States (between the Rocky Mountains and the coastal ranges such as the Cascades). It winters in the Mexican-border states and northern Sonora and Chihuahua. The habitat of sagebrush sparrows is frequently threatened by bush encroachment or the invasion of herbaceous plants.