Rufous-winged Sparrow
Peucaea carpalis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyPasserellidae (New World Sparrows)
- GenusPeucaea
- SpeciesPeucaea carpalis (Rufous-winged Sparrow)
About the Rufous-winged Sparrow
The rufous-winged sparrow (Peucaea carpalis) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in Mexico and the United States. The rufous-winged sparrow was formally described in 1873 with its current binomial Peucaea carpalis. Genus Peucaea was later merged into genus Aimophila that had been erected in 1837. In 2010 taxonomic systems began restoring Peucaea to generic status and moved several species from Aimophila to it.
The rufous-winged sparrow has three subspecies, the nominate P. c. carpalis (Coues, 1873), P. c. bangsi (Moore, RT, 1932), and P. c. cohaerens (Moore, RT, 1946). The rufous-winged sparrow is about 15 cm (6 in) long and weighs about 12 to 17 g (0.42 to 0.60 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have two wide rufous streaks with a thin grayish line between them on the crown. They have whitish lores that become a wide grayish supercilium, a indistinct whitish eye-ring, a rufous stripe behind the eye, and grayish ear coverts with a black stripe below them. Their nape has a grayish collar that the rufous streaks intrude into. Their upperparts are brownish... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Cassin's Sparrow
Peucaea cassinii
Abert's Towhee
Melozone aberti
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Black-throated Sparrow
Amphispiza bilineata
Lark Sparrow
Chondestes grammacus
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Canyon Towhee
Melozone fusca
Brewer's Sparrow
Spizella breweri
Green-tailed Towhee
Pipilo chlorurus
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Rufous-winged Sparrow in Saguaro National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-winged Sparrow sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 10,430 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Rufous-winged Sparrow in Saguaro National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Rufous-winged Sparrow in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.