This distinctive large-billed subspecies of Savannah Sparrow breeds in salt marshes in northeastern Baja California and north-western Sonora dispersing in small numbers to salt marshes in southern California. This form virtually disappeared from California for nearly a decade during the 1980's but has since recovered and may be seen irregularly along the coast north to Morro Bay during winter high tides. Note the heavy swollen bill and pale coloration without obvious yellow lores and lack of pale mantle stripes. It differs substantially in both appearance and genetics (Zink et al. 2005) and some authors such as Rising (2018) split this large, pale subspecies under the name Large-billed Sparrow (Passerculus rostratus). Savannah Sparrow is the only member of the genus Passerculus. The name sandwichensis refers to Sandwich Sound, Alaska, not to Hawaii. Canon PowerShot SX60 HS.
References:
Rising, J. (2018). Large-billed Sparrow (Passerculus rostratus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/61920 on 15 October 2018).
Wheelwright, N. T. and J. D. Rising (2008). Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.45
Zink, Robert M., James D. Rising, Steve Mockford, Andrew G. Horn, Jonathan M. Wright, Marty Leonard and M. C. Westberg. 2005. Mitochondrial DNA variation, species limits, and rapid evolution of plumage coloration and size in the Savannah Sparrow. Condor no. 107 (1):21-28.