Fun Bell's Sparrow Facts For Kids

Chandrayan Choudhury
Oct 20, 2022 By Chandrayan Choudhury
Originally Published on Aug 09, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Bells sparrow facts in this article are awesome

Sparrows are one the most magnificent bird species that inhabit the world. There will rarely be a person who doesn't like listening to sparrow chirps. In this very article, we shall be learning about the Bell's sparrows that live in the western region of the United States near the coast of California.

Bell's sparrow (Artemisiospiza Belli) are small sparrows who inhabit the sagebrush, saltbush, and chamise shrub areas near the US west coast. They also live in the San Clemente Island and the Mojave desert. Bell's sparrow are small birds that grow to a long range of around 5.9 in (15 cm) and can weigh around 0.6 oz (16.5 g).

They are dark-colored birds with white underbody feathers. The dorsal body is of dark brown-grey color.

Bell's sparrow tailfeathers are also brown colored, and they have a dark beak. These small birds migrate in winter. The population living in the interior migrates towards Arizona in the winter.

Further in the article, we have lots of interesting and funny facts about the Bell's sparrow, which will help you more in the species identification.

And if you are someone who likes reading bird facts, then check our articles on cockatoo facts and red bird of paradise facts pages.

Bell's Sparrow Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Bell's sparrow?

The Bell's sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli) is a small-medium bird species that inhabit the western parts of the United States.

What class of animal does a Bell's sparrow belong to?

Bell's sparrow belongs to the class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Passerellidae and genus Artemisiospiza. Bell's sparrow's scientific name is Artemisiospiza belli.

How many Bell's sparrows are there in the world?

Artemisiospiza belli, Bell's sparrow birds, are quite common species that can be seen in their natural habitat in the western United States and northwestern Mexico. As they are considered a species of Least Concern, identification of their exact population out in the wildlife is quite tough.

Where does a Bell's sparrow live?

Bell's sparrows inhabit the sagebrush, saltbush, and chamise shrubs in the west of the United States. In general, they live in shrubby arid areas. They are found in the coastal region of California, the Mojave desert, and San Clemente Island.

What is a Bell's sparrow's habitat?

The Artemisiospiza belli, Bell's sparrow, inhabits shrubby areas, which are arid-like deserts. They can be found in the coastal region of sagebrush and chaparral habitats. They can also be found in the Mojave Desert and San Clemente Island. They happen in the west of the United States in California and northwest of Mexico.

Who does Bell's sparrow live with?

Bell's sparrows, like the sparrows, are very social and flock in groups. They are very closely related to the sagebrush sparrow birds and live happily in the western region of the United States in the coastal areas of California.

How long does a Bell's sparrow live?

Bell's sparrow birds can survive up to an average age range of 8-9 years. The oldest ever Bell's sparrow lived up to an age of 9 years and 3 months who was recaptured and again released in California.

How do they reproduce?

Bell's sparrows are migratory birds. During their breeding season, males occupy their breeding territory after migration and sing songs in order to attract the females. Then those birds mate multiple times. Pregnant females lay 1-4 eggs in their own nest.

The laid eggs go through an incubation period of 10-16 days. The Bell's sparrow birds build their nest near the ground. These birds make their nests in shrubs a little higher than the ground. The nests of these birds are open cupped made with twigs, leaves, and animal hairs.

What is their conservation status?

According to the IUCN Red List, Bell's sparrow birds are considered under the conservation status of Least Concern. However, their population count is decreasing day by day.

Bell's Sparrow Fun Facts

What does Bell's sparrow look like?

Bell's sparrow are medium sparrows that inhabit the western United States in California and nearer places. These birds are often confused with the subspecies sagebrush sparrow birds, who are very similar to them.

Bell's sparrow birds are dark-colored birds who have gray-brown and white feathers in their body. The cheek of this bird species is darker if compared to the head.

Like all other sparrows, this bird species also have a small beak and a cute tail. They have a medium-sized tail which is also gray-brown in color.

Their legs might be small but are very strong, and they can easily run on the ground. The confusion gets created between the Bell's sparrow and their subspecies sagebrush sparrow because both the bird species have a maximum length range of 5.9 in (15 cm) and a maximum weight range of 0.6 oz (16.5 g).

How cute are they?

Bell's sparrows are extremely adorable. Because of their small size and melodious songs, people find them very cute and cuddly. You can check the photos given in this article.

Sparrow species are known for their sweet chirps and clumsy and goofy behavior.

How do they communicate?

Bell's sparrow bird species, like other sparrows, communicate through their songs. They are not that loud in nature but, at the same time, not that soft also. They generally sing in a normal tone. In the breeding season, they attract their partners through their songs. Sparrows also can project a very rough tone when they are in a conflict.

How big is a Bell's sparrow?

Bell's sparrow are small bird species that live in the sagebrush habitats in the west USA. Bell's sparrow species can grow to a maximum length range of 5.9 in (15 cm).

How fast can a Bell's sparrow fly?

Bell's sparrow species can fly at a moderate height with a good speed. There is no exact information about the flight speed of a Bell's sparrow, but it is recorded that sparrows, in general, can fly at a speed of around 21 mph (33.8 kph).

How much does a Bell's sparrow weigh?

Bell's sparrow are small bird species that grow to a maximum weight range of 0.6 oz (16.5 g). Their weight and length range is similar to their subspecies sagebrush sparrow birds. Both species are so-called lookalikes who have small distinct characters.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no special names assigned to the male and female sparrows. They are called sparrows in general. However, males and females have small differences, such as their color pattern and size. Males are a little larger than females and have more prominent brown spots on them.

What would you call a baby Bell's sparrow?

Baby Bell's sparrows are called chicks. All bird babies are called chicks.

What do they eat?

Bell's sparrows are omnivorous in nature. They are natural predators of insects (primarily eat insects), but at the same time, they also eat a variety of seeds and vegetables. Some of their favorite foods are cockroaches, ground spiders, grasshoppers, ants, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. They have natural predators like squirrels and loggerhead shrikes.

Are they poisonous?

No, they are not poisonous. Sparrows don't bear any poison and cause no physical harm to humans.

Would they make a good pet?

No, sparrows are meant to be open in their habitats in wildlife, and keeping them as pets in a confined environment can cause harm to them.

Did you know...

Earlier, Bell's sparrow birds and sagebrush sparrow birds used to be a single species known as the sage sparrow birds. The sage sparrow birds lived across the whole western United States. But later on, sage sparrow species were divided into two subspecies, namely the Bell's sparrows and the sagebrush sparrows.

Both of them are from the same family, Passerellidae.

Why are sparrows dying?

The biggest reason for the disappearance of sparrow species is rapid habitat loss. In urbanization, people are madly destroying green areas, which is badly affecting the sparrow family (population). Sparrow habitat needs conservation.

What is the smallest sparrow?

LeConte's sparrow (Ammospiza leconteii) is known to be the smallest sparrow that inhibits the Earth with a maximum length of 4.7 in (12 cm) and a maximum weight of 0.4-0.6 oz (12-16 g).

The black-capped sparrow is a sparrow bird that has a black head.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these pigeon facts and owl facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Bell's sparrow coloring pages.

We Want Your Photos!
We Want Your Photos!

We Want Your Photos!

Do you have a photo you are happy to share that would improve this article?
Email your photos

More for You

See All

Written by Chandrayan Choudhury

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature

Chandrayan Choudhury picture

Chandrayan ChoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature

Skilled content writer Chandrayan has a passion for producing compelling and engaging content. With an excellent command of the English language and a talent for research and proofreading, Chandrayan has honed his skills through years of experience in the industry. Chandrayan is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Tripura University, demonstrating his dedication to the craft of writing. 

Read full bio >