Grassland Sparrow

Overview

The grassland sparrow (Ammodramus humeralis) is a robust bird species in the family Passerellidae. It is a common inhabitant of the western half of South America, classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• A robust bird approximately 13 cm long with a large head, short tail, and fairly long legs.
• Upper parts are brownish-grey streaked with black, while the breast and flanks are greyish-buff or pinkish-buff and the underparts are dull white.
• Features a narrow white eye-ring, yellow spots on the lores and the bend of the wing, and sings a high-pitched, thin series of plaintive phrases described as "eee, telee, teeeee".

Habitat

Native to the western half of South America, its range includes Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. It inhabits dry savannah, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, pastureland, and cerrado, typically at altitudes up to 1,100 m.

Diet

This species feeds on the ground, primarily consuming grass and other seeds. Small insects are also part of its diet, particularly during the breeding season, and it forages in the open mainly during early morning and late evening.

Did you know?

Known as a secretive bird that flits away into vegetation when disturbed, it constructs a cup-shaped nest on the ground with a distinctive runway through the foliage leading to it.