Spizella atrogularis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The black-chinned sparrow (Spizella atrogularis) is a small bird in the genus Spizella, in the New World sparrow family Passerellidae. It is found in the southwestern United States and throughout much of Mexico north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec; most populations in the US migrate south after breeding while those in Mexico are resident. It is a slim, long-tailed bird, primarily gray with a reddish-brown back streaked with black, brown wings and tail, a pink beak, and brownish legs and feet. In the breeding season, the male shows black on his throat, chin, and the front of his face. Females, youngsters and nonbreeding males show little or no black in these areas. An unobtrusive bird, it spends much of its time foraging slowly along the ground, either alone or in small groups, sometimes mixing with other Spizella species. It is an omnivore, feeding primarily on seeds during the winter and insects during the summer. It builds a cup-shaped nest of grasses, rootlets, or plant fibers, into which the female lays 2–5 pale blue eggs. The female does most or all of the egg incubation, but both parents feed the hatched nestlings.
The species was first described by Jean Louis Cabanis in 1851. Four subspecies have been identified: one breeds only in the US, one only in Mexico, and the other two breed in both countries. Most northern populations move south—primarily into Mexico—for the winter. Because of its apparently large population size and very large range, it is considered to be a species of least concern. However, increasing global temperatures could have a significantly negative impact on its numbers. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-chinned Sparrow sighting in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, based on 50 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 116th most-seen of the 194 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-chinned Sparrow in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-chinned Sparrow sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
6th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Black-chinned Sparrow sightings, Grand Canyon National Park ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 30%), Big Bend National Park (United States, about 10%) and Cabo Pulmo National Park (Mexico, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-chinned Sparrow is recorded against all the birds logged in Grand Canyon National Park (50 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
