Bell's Sparrow

The Bell's Sparrow is an uncommon, year-round breeding resident on campus within the CSUSB Preserve, though they can be difficult to detect when they are not vocalizing. It is a common, year-round breeding resident in the deserts, and an uncommon, year-round breeding resident in sage scrub in the coastal lowlands of southern California.High Count: 4, Average Count: 1-2The Bell's Sparrow can be identified by its gray head with narrow white eye ring, brown back, wings, and tail, and white underparts with black whisker stripe and central breast spot. The Bell's Sparrow was formerly known as the Sage Sparrow, however, in 2013 the American Ornithologists' Union decided that the Sage Sparrow represented two distinct species and split them into Bell's Sparrow (resident in California and Baja California) and Sagebrush Sparrow (A. nevadensis; breeds in the Great Basin).