The Rufous-winged Sparrow is a small, subtly marked sparrow that is closely tied to desert grassland and thornscrub habitats of southern Arizona. Once thought to be nearly extinct in the early 20th century due to overgrazing and habitat loss, the species has rebounded in numbers but remains a localized breeder, primarily found in Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise counties. It is identified by its grayish head with a thin white supercilium, dark malar stripe, finely streaked breast, rufous shoulder patch, and reddish edging on the wings and tail. Rufous-winged Sparrows are most often seen perched on mesquite or cholla, delivering their persistent, tinkling song during the summer monsoon breeding season, when insect abundance peaks. Their presence is considered an indicator of relatively intact Sonoran Desert grassland, where they feed on seeds and insects and build ground-level nests concealed in grasses or low shrubs.
