Black-chinned Sparrow (Spizella atrogularis)
Sparrows
Casual
Black-chinned Sparrow, male - Chino Hills State Park, CA © Tom Benson
The Black-chinned Sparrow is a casual visitor to campus: two singing birds were observed in the CSUSB Preserve 13 Apr 2011. It is a fairly common breeding resident in spring and summer in southern California in chaparral habitats. It may in fact occur regularly in the hills above CSUSB (beyond Badger Hill).Male Black-chinned Sparrows are mostly gray with brownish wings and back and black around the bill and on the throat. Females are similar to males but lack the black face and throat.