flight style. Though the species often remains in deep cover, breeding males defy that more typical behavior and pick conspicuous, exposed perches from which to sing. Feeding The black-chinned sparrow forages on or near the ground, spending considerable time working in the same area. Though its diet is not well-known, it appears to feed primarily on seeds as a ground-gleaning granivore in the winter, and on insects as a ground-foraging omnivore in the summer. It occasionally captures insects in flight, and may feed on seeds while perched in a bush. It appears to obtain all of the moisture it needs from its food during the summer, but in the winter may travel a considerable distance to reach a water source. Breeding Much of the breeding ecology of the black-chinned sparrow is poorly known. It breeds primarily from late April into June, though active nests have been found as late as the middle of July. Males sing from open perches within their territory, which may encompass as much as . Neighboring males often counter-sing, alternately responding to their singing rivals. They also aggressively chase each other. The nest is a shallow, open cup built of plant material, including grasses, weed stems, rootlets, or yucca fibers. This is lined with fibers or fine grasses, and occasionally with hair or feathers. It is located within of the ground, typically at mid-level in a dense shrub. The female does the bulk of the nest building, though the male may help. The nest is occasionally parasitized by cowbirds. The female lays 2–5 very pale blue or bluish-green eggs. These are typically unmarked, though occasionally speckled with brown spots. Incubation takes roughly 13 days, and is done primarily (or possibly completely) by the female. The young are – featherless with eyes closed upon hatching. Both parents provide food for the nestlings and remove fecal sacs for the 11–13 days it takes for the young to fledge. Adults continue to feed the fledglings for several weeks after they leave the nest. Most pairs raise a single brood per year, though there are records of a few pairs attempting multiple broods in southern California. Pairs stay together only for the length of breeding season. Nests suffer a high rate of failure; in one study in southern California, fewer than 30 percent of nesting attempts were successful. Most eggs and young are lost to predators. Garter snakes are known