Black-striped Sparrow

Overview

The black-striped sparrow (Arremonops conirostris) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found from Honduras south to Ecuador and Brazil, with unconfirmed reports in Peru. The species is generally a year-round resident, though some individuals may move to lower elevations after breeding.

Identification

• Length of about 16.5 cm and weight between 26 and 42 g.
• Adults of the nominate subspecies have a mostly gray head with wide black stripes on each side of the crown and a thin black strip through the eye.
• Upperparts, tail, and wings are olive-green with yellow at the wing bend, while the throat and belly are whitish.
• Song includes inflected, whistled notes such as "ho-wheet" or accelerating series like "wareep-weep!-warih-weep!".

Habitat

The black-striped sparrow inhabits a variety of low-stature landscapes, including young secondary forest, the edges of humid woodlands, fields and pastures with shrubs and thickets, and shady plantations and gardens. It occurs at elevations ranging from sea level up to 1,600 m in Colombia and 1,500 m in Brazil. Its distribution is disjunct, spanning eastern Honduras, parts of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.

Diet

The species primarily feeds on insects, seeds, and fruits, though it has occasionally been recorded taking small lizards and frogs. It forages by hopping on the ground and gleaning from low vegetation.

Did you know?

The female alone builds an oven-shaped nest made of leaves, ferns, and grasses, which typically features a side entrance. She also incubates the one to three eggs entirely on her own for 13 to 14 days before both parents help provision the nestlings.