Yellow-browed sparrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow-browed sparrow |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Adult, Los Llanos, Venezuela | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ammodramus
|
| Species: |
aurifrons
|
 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
The yellow-browed sparrow (Ammodramus aurifrons) is a small bird that belongs to the sparrow family, Passerellidae. A scientist named Johann Baptist von Spix first described this bird in 1825. You can find this American sparrow living across most of the Amazon basin in South America. It likes to live in warm, wet shrubland, grassy fields, and areas where forests used to be.
Contents
What's in a Name? The Yellow-Browed Sparrow's Taxonomy
When Johann Baptist von Spix first described the yellow-browed sparrow in 1825, he thought it was a type of tanager. He placed it in a group called Tanagra. Soon, scientists realized his mistake. The bird was then moved to the group Ammodramus. Later, it was moved to Myospiza, a group created in 1898 for this bird and the grassland sparrow.
Today, most scientists agree that Myospiza is part of Ammodramus. Studies of DNA show that the yellow-browed sparrow is very closely related to the grassland sparrow. These two birds are also related to the grasshopper sparrow.
Different Types of Yellow-Browed Sparrows
There are four slightly different types, or subspecies, of the yellow-browed sparrow. They mostly look different in how much yellow they have on their face. They also differ in how many streaks they have on their back and head.
- A. a. apurensis: Found in northeastern Colombia.
- A. a. cherriei: Found in central Colombia.
- A. a. tenebrosus: Lives from southeastern Colombia through southwestern Venezuela and into nearby parts of Brazil.
- A. a. aurifrons: Found from southeastern Colombia south into central Bolivia. It also lives east along the Amazon basin to the Atlantic coast.
Meaning of the Name
The yellow-browed sparrow is one of nine sparrows in the group Ammodramus. This name means "desert runner" or "desert racer" in Greek. The second part of its scientific name, aurifrons, comes from Latin words. Auri means "gold" and frons means "forehead" or "front". This name perfectly describes its yellow eyebrows!
How to Identify a Yellow-Browed Sparrow
The yellow-browed sparrow is a small American sparrow. It is about 13 cm (5 in) long. It weighs between 14.5 and 19 g (0.5 and 0.7 oz). Male and female sparrows look very similar. Males are usually just a tiny bit bigger than females.
Adult birds have brownish-gray feathers on their upper parts. They have dark streaks on their back. Their belly is whitish, turning grayish on the chest. Their sides are a buff color. Their legs are pinkish-brown. The beak is horn-colored, with a darker top part. Their eyes are reddish-brown. Young sparrows do not have yellow on their face or wings. They are more buff-colored than adults. They also have thin brownish streaks on their chest and sides.
How is it Different from Similar Birds?
The yellow-browed sparrow looks a lot like the grassland sparrow. However, the yellow-browed sparrow usually has more yellow on its face. It is also lighter in color and has fewer streaks than the grassland sparrow. It does not have chestnut-colored edges on its flight feathers. The best way to tell them apart is by their buzzing song. The yellow-browed sparrow is also less shy and lives in more types of grassy areas.
Where Does the Yellow-Browed Sparrow Live?
In the past, the yellow-browed sparrow mostly lived along rivers and on islands. Now, it is common in grassy areas of the Amazon biome. This includes farm fields, roadsides, and around towns. It usually lives in lowlands. However, it has been seen as high as 1,000 m (3,281 ft) on the east side of the Andes mountains. It is often found at 1,500 m (4,921 ft) and sometimes even up to 2,000 m (6,562 ft) in Ecuador.
Yellow-Browed Sparrow Behavior
The yellow-browed sparrow is generally easier to spot than its close relatives. It is not as secretive. It can be found in many different types of grasslands.
What Do Yellow-Browed Sparrows Eat?
Like most American sparrows, the yellow-browed sparrow mainly eats seeds. It feeds on seeds from native grasses and other plants that have been brought into the area. It also eats insects, including larvae (young insects). It usually finds its food on the ground.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Yellow-browed sparrows have been seen breeding between February and September. The female builds a cup nest using dried grass. She lines it with soft plant material. The nest is usually on the ground, hidden in a clump of grass. Sometimes, it is placed low in a shrub. The female lays 2 to 3 white eggs.
What Does the Yellow-Browed Sparrow Sound Like?
The yellow-browed sparrow's high-pitched song sounds like an insect. It is a bit boring and buzzy. People describe it as tic, tzzz-tzzzzz. The first note is weak and short. The male sings all day long from a low, open spot.
Conservation Status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the yellow-browed sparrow as a species of least concern. This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing. It has a very large range, and its population seems to be stable. Scientists say it is common throughout the areas where it lives. However, they have not counted exactly how many there are. This bird has actually benefited from people clearing rainforests for farming and raising cattle. It is common in new grassy fields that grow after forests are cleared.
Images for kids
-
Adult, Los Llanos, Venezuela
-
Range map of the yellow-browed sparrow
