California Towhee
mostly brownish with cinnamon
under tail feathers, feeds on
ground, eating insects and seeds,
likes to pose for photos,
spring/summer sings from tree tops

Song Sparrow

Ground feeders tend to be less flighty, often posing long enough for the avid novice birder to focus their binoculars.  Look for identifying marks such as: head stripes; eye-rings; breast coloration; color around face; color of tail and bill. 

The male House Finch has red coloration on head, chest and rump, while the female is rather nondescript.  Look for the black and white crown of the White-crowned Sparrow.  Juncos have tiny pink bills and flash white outer tail feathers when they fly off.

Birds emit a variety of sounds.  House Finch engage in endless chatter. The White-crowned Sparrow has a beautiful song with a series of buzzes and trills.  Its call  is a sharp "pink."  Little Juncos tweet, twitter, and chip as they dart about.

Song Sparrows can be one of the easiest sparrows to identify.  In spring and summer they are often perched on the top of a bush or on twig singing their melodious song.  Look for a streaked breast with a spot in the center.  Song Sparrows are found through out
No. America.  Check your field guide for regional variations in color and streaking.

Bushtits are tiny-brownish birds. Diet includes insects, seeds, fruit.  They travel in loose flocks of 6-30, often accompanied by other small song birds.  Bushtits twitter & chatter as they flit about, often hanging upside down as the feed.