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A chill wind ruffles the feathers of a male Sagebrush Sparrow (formerly known as the Sage Sparrow), as he sings atop a tall sagebrush. It is late February, a few miles from the Columbia River in Central Washington. Sagebrush Sparrows are arriving north from wintering in the Southwestern deserts. Unlike most songbirds, male and female Sagebrush Sparrows often arrive on their nesting grounds already paired.
BirdNote®
Sagebrush Sparrow
Adapted from a script by Bob Sundstrom
This is BirdNote.
[Sagebrush Sparrow]
And this is a Sagebrush Sparrow singing from atop… a big sagebrush!
As their name suggests, Sagebrush Sparrows live in dry, open shrublands. They winter in the desert Southwest and migrate as far north as central Washington to breed each spring.
About the size of a junco, Sagebrush Sparrows are dressed in soft grays and browns. You’ll often spot these dapper birds singing from a high perch, making it easy to view the distinctive patch of dark feathers at the center of their otherwise white breast.
[Sagebrush Sparrow]
Performance complete, the little bird hops back to the ground to forage for seeds and bugs with his flock. Look for them running rapidly about with tails cocked up like scampering chipmunks.
[Sagebrush Sparrow]
The sparrows’ plaintive song seems to convey a sense of their precarious future in the West. Sagebrush Sparrow populations have declined by more than 50% since 1970, largely due to habitat loss from urbanization, agricultural conversion, and wildfires. To support our remaining Sagebrush Sparrows, we have to protect the landscapes they call home.
[Sagebrush Sparrow]
Learn more about sagebrush conservation at our website, BirdNote.org. I’m Michael Stein.
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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Song of the Sage Sparrow recorded by D.S. Herr.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2013 BirdNote February 2013 & June 2026
Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# SBSP-01b-2013-2-27 SBSP-01b
Bob Sundstrom
Writer
Michael Stein
NarratorSights & Sounds
