Botteri's Sparrow

Amophophila botteri

zacatonero de Botteri

Voice: Song is a few, slow, sharp introductory notes, followed with accelerating “bouncing ball” trill.

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Status: Uncommon to locally common summer resident (April-August) along the Valley’s coastal plain; found exclusively in sacahuiste (bunch) grass habitats from Brownsville and Raymondville east to the coast.

Habitat: Coastal sacahuiste bunch grass habitat.

Best Spots: Highway 4 east of Brownsville towards Boca Chica, Old Port Isabel Road in North Brownsville, Highway 100 west of Laguna Vista, Highway 106 adjacent to Laguna Atascosa NWR, and Highway 186 from Raymondville to Port Mansfield.

Similar Species: Very similar to Cassin’s Sparrow, another plainly marked sparrow, which is also found in coastal ecotone (coastal bunch grass dotted with mesquite and prickly pear). Differs from Cassins’s Sparrow by subtle plumage characters and structural features. Botteri’s is flatter headed and longer-billed, and also has a completely unmarked breast (Cassin’s has finely streaked breast and distinct malar). Voice and habitat are best clues.

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Botteri's Sparrow - Range Map

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