Botteri's Sparrow /zacatonero de Botteri (Amophophila botteri)
Voice: Song is a few, slow, sharp introductory notes, followed with accelerating “bouncing ball” trill.
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.
A speaker symbol next to the bird indicates that it has a sound file available.All Bird call recordings © John C. Arvin.
Call (956) 584-2731 to hear or submit an alert.
- Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley (Mission)
- Edinburg Scenic Wetlands
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- Harlingen Arroyo Colorado
- Old Hidalgo Pumphouse
- Quinta Mazatlan (McAllen)
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- Roma Bluffs
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Welcome to a birder’s eye view of the seasons in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Enjoy our annual cycle! The resulting avifauna in deep South Texas is the most diverse north of the Mexican border. The four county area that makes up the lower Rio Grande Valley has recorded over 500 species of birds. This is more species of birds than have been recorded in all but two or three entire states. Small wonder that birders from across the continent make pilgrimages to the region. Happy Birding!
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