Rufous-winged Sparrow
A species of Sparrow Scientific name : Peucaea carpalis Genus : Sparrow
Rufous-winged Sparrow, A species of Sparrow
Botanical name: Peucaea carpalis
Genus: Sparrow
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Caleb Putnam , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The back is brown with darker streaks, while the belly is pale gray. The wings and crown are rust-colored. This sparrow has a conical, yellow-based bill and a long brown tail. 
Size
15 cm (5.75 in)
Nest Placement
Shrub
Clutch Size
2 - 5 eggs
Feeding Habits
Rufous-winged Sparrow primarily consume seeds, insects, and spiders. They forage on the ground, hopping and walking, and glean from low vegetation. They catch prey in brief flights and while perched, notably pursuing grasshoppers in the air. Their activity is concentrated in small areas, with morning open foraging and midday resting in the shade.
Habitat
Rufous-winged Sparrow inhabit desert grasslands interspersed with mesquite, various cacti, and native grasses, preferring areas with sandy washes and brushy terrains. They thrive in flat to slightly hilly landscapes and avoid developed farmlands. Human activities such as cattle grazing pose a threat to their natural habitat, impacting their distribution and emphasizing the need for habitat preservation.
Nest Behavior
Rufous-winged Sparrow builds its nest before laying eggs. The female is responsible for construction, laying, and incubation, while both parents care for the young, ensuring a higher chance of survival through shared duties.
Nest Characteristics
Rufous-winged Sparrow typically places its nest around 4 feet off the ground in small trees, bushes, or cacti. The nest is a deep cup made of coarse grasses, fine grasses, and hair, averaging 4 inches wide and 2.7 inches tall, with a cup 1.9 inches wide and 2.3 inches deep.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Bird Feeder Type
Ground
Sounds
Song
Recording location: United States
Behavior
Rufous-winged Sparrow exhibit monogamous bonds, where mated pairs engage in daily activities together, such as foraging and roosting in close vicinity. The onset of breeding, triggered by rainfall, is marked by the male's territorial songs, although aggressive confrontations are uncommon. These birds form close-knit communities during breeding, often described as 'colonies.' Post-breeding, offspring may remain in parental territories for extended periods. In winter, small groups of up to ten may collectively forage, showcasing a semi-social tendency outside the breeding season.
Distribution Area
P. carpalis is a year-round resident from south-central Arizona and Guadalupe Canyon, New Mexico, south to northern Sinaloa, Mexico. The rufous-winged sparrow inhabits desert grasslands with scattered mesquite or cholla. It also occurs in washes with sandy bottoms and vegetated slopes, brushy irrigation ditches, and creeks bordered by broad-leaved trees, mesquite, grasses, and forbs.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
New world sparrows Genus
Sparrow Species
Rufous-winged Sparrow 
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