There is a group of Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows at the San Elijo Lagoon in San Diego County. Inconspicuous and smaller than most sparrows, the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow inhabits a variety of wet prairie and coastal marshes, dominated by grasses and sedges, along the eastern seaboard and the northern plains of North America. There are occasional winter visitors in California, but usually they are seen in the San Francisco Bay region. One of its unique characteristics is that it is more apt to run than fly. The bird was named after Edward William Nelson, a naturalist who conducted field surveys throughout the Americas.

What to look for: This small, compact perching bird often appears flat-headed, with no neck. The plumage is complex and bold. Thick orange-yellow lines form an inverted triangle around each gray ear and dark eye. Behind the eye, a brown line pierces this ochre color to connect the eye to the gray nape. A dark cap and whitish throat frame this pattern. Distinct among the brown and black streaks of the upper parts are four jagged, white streaks. The lower parts are mostly whitish, with a little warm color washed over the thin, dark streaks of the breast.

Photo by Matt Tillett