This is Bird Note. Every spring one of the most musical and complex bird songs on

the continent rings forth from the sagebrush of the Columbia basin in Washington

state. The Brewer Sparrow, a migratory songbird that winters mostly in Western

Mexico, returns in April to the sage. Sagebrush habitat, often called shrub step, is a

common landscape of the interior west. However, each year, more and more of it is being

cleared for irrigated crops and development. The diminutive Brewer Sparrow shares its

nesting habitat with other fancy singers like the long-winded sage thrasher and the melodic

Vespersparrow. All three of these birds are sandy browning color, blending so seamlessly

with their surroundings that only a sharp eye can pick them out. Yet even among this

accomplished company, the Brewer's song stands apart. While most birds offer a melody,

the Brewer Sparrow seems to perform an entire aria.

Find all our episodes and a lot more information about birds at our website, birdnote.org.

I'm Mary McCann.