This sparrow breeds in open sage-dominated shrubsteppe in western North America. During migration and winter it also uses dry scrub with creosote or saltbush.
It is brown above with a soft gray head, white underparts, a dark central breast spot, a white eyering, a white spot before the eye, and a white whisker stripe. Its tail is relatively long.
It spends much of its time on the ground or hidden in shrubs. In early summer males sing from prominent perches; when crossing open areas the bird often runs with its tail raised.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.