Lost Mine Trail Stop #21

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

NPS/CA Hoyt

Quick Facts

Location:

Lost Mine Trail

Amenities

1 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

One of the more common birds heard and seen in the Chisos Mountains is the rufous-crowned sparrow. A larger sparrow, at six inches in length, rufous-crowned sparrows are an easier sparrow to identify. Look for an orange-brown (rufous) colored crown, a brown stripe behind the eye, a black throat-stripe, and a plain gray breast. Their call is a nasal, laughing deer deer deer deer, while their song is a husky, mumbled, descending chatter. They are usually solitary and are normally seen on the ground or in low bushes.