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Buntings and New World Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Black-chinned Sparrow (Spizella atrogularis) - HBW 16, p. 559

French: Bruant à menton noir German: Schwarzkinammer Spanish: Chingolo Barbinegro

Taxonomy: Spinites atrogularis Cabanis, 1851, Mexico.
Probably closely related to S. pusilla, with which it shares many similarities in song and habitat, and S. wortheni, to which very similar in general appearance; mitochondrial DNA work on genus indicates that present species and S. pusilla are sister-taxa (S. wortheni may be closer to S. breweri). Present species is the only member of genus that exhibits sexual plumage dimorphism. Race caurina often synonymized with cana. Four subspecies generally recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • caurina A. H. Miller, 1929 - breeds in coast ranges of WC California from Contra Costa County S to San Benito County, occasionally N to S Oregon, in W USA; non-breeding range poorly known (one record from Santa Cruz I, in California).
  • cana Coues, 1866 - breeds in inner coastal mountains of C & SW California (from Monterey County S on W slopes of S Sierra Nevada) and extreme NW Mexico (N Baja California); non-breeding SW California S to S Baja California.
  • evura Coues, 1866 - breeds in SE California, S Nevada, SW Utah, C & SE Arizona, S New Mexico, W Texas and extreme N Mexico (NE Sonora); non-breeding range poorly known.
  • atrogularis (Cabanis, 1851) - C plateau of Mexico from Durango, S Coahuila and W Nuevo León S to C Oaxaca.

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