Field guides treat the juvenile plumage of the Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps) with varying success. The treatment itself can be misleading, perhaps because of individual variation in wear and molt. Sources of information, though not illustrations of the species’ molt and juvenile plumage, include Pyle’s (1997) Identification Guide to North American Birds and the account for The Birds of North America (Collins 1999). Although the Rufous-crowned Sparrow is widely distributed in appropriate habitat of the Southwest, California, and Mexico, in the field its juvenile plumage can pose an identification challenge.