Belding's savannah sparrow

Photographed this "Belding's" Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi) in the salt marsh, near the mouth of the Tijuana River in San Diego. A State and Federally protected sub-species of the Savannah Sparrow, it is distinguished from the 'Savannah sparrow' by having heavier and darker streaking, thinner crown stripe and a smaller beak profile. Here the bird is perched on pickleweed that is crucial for the species survival, as it nests in this vegetation.