Sprague’s Pipit is a rare migrant and winter visitor to Arizona, primarily found in open grasslands and prairies of the southeastern portion of the state. This species breeds in the northern Great Plains of the United States and Canada, and only a small number pass through Arizona during migration, with scattered records in winter. It favors wide, treeless expanses of native grasslands, where it can be difficult to detect because of its camouflaged plumage and ground-dwelling habits. Sprague’s Pipit is considered a species of conservation concern due to widespread loss of native prairie habitat across its breeding range, making Arizona sightings both uncommon and notable.
