Black-Throated Sparrows Breeding in Idaho

Little is known about breeding status of the Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata in Idaho. The check-list of North American Birds (A.O.U. 1957, fifth ed.) lists northern Nevada, northern Utah, and southwestern Wyoming as the northern limit for breeding Black-throated Sparrow. Burleigh (1972, Birds of Idaho, Caxton Printers, Caldwell, Idaho, p. 411) cites the collection of an immature male by D. G. Barrett on 10 August 1960 in Madison County, Idaho. Larrsion et al. (1967, J. Idaho Acad. Sci. Vol. 5, Guide to Idaho Birds, p. 206) treat this s[arrow as a vagrant and an irregular breeder. We found no Idaho breeding records for Black-throated Sparrow in the literature. The following observations were made in the Snake River Birds of Prey Study Area (SRBPA) in portions of Ada, Elmore, and Owyhee counties, Idaho.