Taxon of the Day! (7 April 2010)

Amphispiza belli - Sage Sparrow

Although seen here perched in the scaly needles of Juniperus californica, the distribution of Sage Sparrows is tightly linked to the occurrence of their namesake plant: sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata).

Consequently, the best place to find Sage Sparrows is in the arid strip of land passing through the Great Basin, west of the Rockies and east of the Cascades, all the way down to northern Mexico.

There is some fear that Sage Sparrow populations will suffer as native sagebrush habitat is cleared and/or degraded. However, they are still listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN.

This species is named after John Graham Bell, an American taxodermist... and spoon collector. My best efforts to find any of his spoons for sale have been rebuffed.