Species

Clay-colored sparrow

Spizella pallida

A pale, neatly patterned sparrow of the northern prairies, a scarce migrant in Georgia.

At a glance

Key marks: Pale; brown cheek patch outlined in dark; grey nape; plain breast
Told apart from: Chipping sparrow, which has a black eye-line and rusty cap
Where to look: Weedy fields near the coast in autumn

Clay-colored sparrows feed in shrubby fields, often with chipping sparrows.

These sparrows breed on the northern prairies and winter in Mexico. Their appearances in Georgia show how migrants spread across the continent.

Nest — A cup in a shrub
Eggs — Usually three or four
Incubation — About 10 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — A few years

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Recorded in 54 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Answer a few questions and you will get a specific answer for what you are looking at.