Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow

Overview

The cinnamon-tailed sparrow (Peucaea sumichrasti) is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Passerellidae, endemic to Mexico. Also known as Sumichrast's sparrow, it is a small passerine that has been reclassified from the genus Aimophila to Peucaea in recent taxonomic updates.

Identification

• Measures 14.5 to 16.5 cm in length and weighs 23 to 30 g, with both sexes displaying identical plumage.
• Features a chestnut brown crown with a thin gray central stripe and black streaks, a light gray nape and face, and a wide whitish supercilium.
• Distinctive cinnamon-colored tail and uppertail coverts, contrasting with blackish brown wing coverts edged in pale rufous.
• Song consists of a short, chipping series often preceded by one to three introductory notes, described as sounds like 'bzz, bzz, bzz' or 'tik ssiu', with the latter part being louder and fuller.

Habitat

Found exclusively on the Pacific side of southern Mexico's Isthmus of Tehuantepec, ranging from the Tehuantepec River basin in eastern Oaxaca to far southwestern Chiapas. It inhabits arid scrublands and the edges of tropical thorn forest between sea level and 950 m in elevation.

Diet

Although its diet has not been formally studied, it is believed to consist of seeds, small insects, spiders, fruit, and nectar. The bird usually forages on the ground in pairs or small groups that are thought to be family units.

Did you know?

The bird's breeding season, which spans from June to September, may allow some pairs to raise two broods, yet almost nothing is known about its nest structure, eggs, or specific parental care routines.