Rufous-Crowned Sparrow
Aimophila ruficeps
Not much of a traveler, the Rufous-Crowned Sparrow is a year-round resident of brushy areas in the Southwestern USA and interior Mexico. All my meetings with this species (so far) have been in southern California and southern Arizona.
There is some debate about classification of birds in this genus. Some believe we should classify them as the genus Peucaea, which contains several sparrows in the genus Aimophila (e.g. Rufus-Winged Sparrow).
Science recognises seventeen subspecies of Rufous-Crowned Sparrow. Twelve live in Mexico, and five in the USA. The five found in the USA are:
- A. r. canescens lives in southwestern California and northeast Baja California. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife listed them as a “species of special concern”, signifying that they are threatened with extinction.
- A. r. obscura lives on the Channel Islands off the coast of California.
- A. r. ruficeps lives on the central California Coast to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada range.
- A. r. scottii lives in desert mountain ranges of eastern California, east Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico, south into northern Mexico.
- A. r. eremoeca lives in southeastern Colorado and central Oklahoma south through eastern New Mexico and west-central Texas to northern Mexico.
The genus Aimophila gets its name from the Greek aimos, meaning “thicket” and philos meaning “loving”. The species name ruficeps comes from the Latin rufus, meaning “reddish” or “tawny”, and ceps from caput, meaning “head”.
I’ve enjoyed the company of these subtly dressed sparrows near my home in southern California, Arizona, and in West Texas at Kickapoo Caverns and Davis Mountains State Park. One has to be careful identifying these birds in Arizona. There, the very similar-looking Rufous-Winged Sparrow also resides.
22 Photos
Rufous-crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: (Aimophila ruficeps) A bird I met at Dixon Lake, Escondido, San Diego County, California USA 2008-02-23. |
Date Taken: 2008:02:23 14:19 |
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Location:
Dixon Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 400 mm, f/4.0, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD3474RufousCrownedSparrow |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Dixon Lake. Northern Escondido, San Diego County, California USA 2008-02-23. |
Date Taken: 2008:02:23 14:20 |
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Location:
Dixon Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 400 mm, f/4.0, 1/800 |
File Name: JCD3478RufousCrownedSparrow |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Year-round resident at Mission Trails Regional Park, near Santee, California in San Diego County 2009-05-01. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:02 10:43 |
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Location:
Mission Trails Regional Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1500 |
File Name: jcd7474.RufousCrownedSparrow |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Dixon Lake. Northern Escondido, San Diego County, California USA 2008-02-23. |
Date Taken: 2008:02:23 14:20 |
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Location:
Dixon Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 400 mm, f/4.0, 1/800 |
File Name: Cut_JCD3478RufousCrownedSparrow |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Redington Pass, Rincon Mountains, East of Tucson, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2004:06:24 9:48 |
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Location:
Redington Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/2000 |
File Name: JCD_6907RufousCrownedSparrow |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Redington Pass, Rincon Mountains, East of Tucson, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2004:06:24 9:50 |
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Location:
Redington Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1600 |
File Name: JCD_6917RufousCrownedSparrow |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Redington Pass, Rincon Mountains, East of Tucson, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2004:06:24 9:52 |
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Location:
Redington Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1500 |
File Name: JCD_6931RufousCrownedSparrow |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Redington Pass, Rincon Mountains, East of Tucson, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2004:06:24 9:51 |
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Location:
Redington Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1500 |
File Name: JCD_6923RufousCrownedSparrow |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: I spent the day meeting birds at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. These sparrows are difficult to distinguish from Rufous-Winged Sparrows, but their 'deer-deer' calls single them out. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:24 10:14 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_D5X1090-Boyce-Thompson |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: I spent the day meeting birds at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. These sparrows are difficult to distinguish from Rufous-Winged Sparrows, but their 'deer-deer' calls single them out. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:24 10:16 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/5000 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_D5X1152-Boyce-Thompson |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
|
Description: I spent the day meeting birds at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. These sparrows are difficult to distinguish from Rufous-Winged Sparrows, but their 'deer-deer' calls single them out. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:24 10:17 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_D5X1228-Boyce-Thompson |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
|
Description: I spent the day meeting birds at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. These sparrows are difficult to distinguish from Rufous-Winged Sparrows, but their 'deer-deer' calls single them out. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:24 10:19 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_D5X1263-Boyce-Thompson |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
|
Description: I spent the day meeting birds at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona. These sparrows are difficult to distinguish from Rufous-Winged Sparrows, but their 'deer-deer' calls single them out. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:24 10:20 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_D5X1280-Boyce-Thompson |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Goodan Ranch, Sycamore Canyon. Poway, California. San Diego County 2008-07-22. |
Date Taken: 2008:07:22 10:21 |
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Location:
Gooden Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/160 |
File Name: jcd8758RufousCrownedSparrow |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Gardner Canyon Road leaves AZ-83 four miles north of Sonoita and ascends the eastern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains. I stopped there to spend the night and see what birds I might meet. |
Date Taken: 2023:03:19 12:39 |
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Location:
Gardner Canyon Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_ZX92918_GardnerCanyon_Sonoita-AZ |
| © 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Gardner Canyon Road leaves AZ-83 four miles north of Sonoita and ascends the eastern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains. I stopped there to spend the night and see what birds I might meet. |
Date Taken: 2023:03:19 12:39 |
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Location:
Gardner Canyon Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_ZX92871_GardnerCanyon_Sonoita-AZ |
| © 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Gardner Canyon Road leaves AZ-83 four miles north of Sonoita and ascends the eastern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains. I stopped there to spend the night and see what birds I might meet. |
Date Taken: 2023:03:19 12:38 |
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Location:
Gardner Canyon Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_ZX92863_GardnerCanyon_Sonoita-AZ |
| © 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
|
Description: Gardner Canyon Road leaves AZ-83 four miles north of Sonoita and ascends the eastern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains. I stopped there to spend the night and see what birds I might meet. |
Date Taken: 2023:03:19 12:38 |
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Location:
Gardner Canyon Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_ZX92855_GardnerCanyon_Sonoita-AZ |
| © 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Depending on the season, Kickapoo Caverns State Park will provide opportunities for meeting many bird species, including sparrows like this Rufous-Crowned Sparrow. |
Date Taken: 2024:05:03 16:00 |
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Location:
Kickapoo Caverns State Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_Z9X7603_KickapooCaverns-SP |
| © 2024 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
|
Description: Depending on the season, Kickapoo Caverns State Park will provide opportunities for meeting many bird species, including sparrows like this Rufous-Crowned Sparrow. |
Date Taken: 2024:05:03 16:00 |
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Location:
Kickapoo Caverns State Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_Z9X7645_KickapooCaverns-SP |
| © 2024 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Rufous-Crowned Sparrows are one of several sparrow species we find at Davis Mountain State Park. |
Date Taken: 2024:05:07 11:04 |
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Location:
Davis Mountains State Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_Z9X8424_DavisMountains-SP |
| © 2024 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow(Aimophila ruficeps) |
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Description: Rufous-Crowned Sparrows are one of several sparrow species we find at Davis Mountain State Park. |
Date Taken: 2024:05:07 11:51 |
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Location:
Davis Mountains State Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/6400 |
File Name: RufousCrownedSparrow_Z9X9030_DavisMountains-SP |
| © 2024 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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