Bell's Sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli) - 28Sep2014

This mostly Californian species (including Mexican Baja California) was previously lumped with the Sagebrush Sparrow as the Sage Sparrow complex.  They can be difficult to tell apart.  However, the Bell's Sparrow is mostly a year-round resident whereas the Sagebrush Sparrow is migratory and is found mostly east of California with some areas of overlap. The one I photographed was in Otay Lakes, California which is pretty firmly in the Bell's territory and is certainly the default.