Black-striped sparrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-striped sparrow |
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| At Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica | |
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| Genus: |
Arremonops
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| Species: |
conirostris
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The black-striped sparrow (its scientific name is Arremonops conirostris) is a type of passerine bird. Passerine birds are often called 'perching birds' because they have special feet that help them grip branches. You can find this bird in many countries, from eastern Honduras all the way down to western Ecuador, northern Brazil, and Venezuela.
This American sparrow likes warm, wet places. It lives in low areas and hills up to about 1,500 meters (or 4,900 feet) high. You can often spot it in places with some open space, like thick bushes, young forests, overgrown fields, shady farms, and even gardens.
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About the Black-Striped Sparrow
What Does It Look Like?
The black-striped sparrow is about 16.5 centimeters (6.5 inches) long. It weighs around 37.5 grams (1.3 ounces). This bird is easy to recognize! It has a grey head with wide black stripes on each side of its crown (the top of its head). It also has thinner black stripes going through each eye.
Its back and wings are olive green. You might notice a splash of yellow on the bend of its wing. The underside of the bird is a dull white color. This fades to grey on the sides of its chest and to olive green on its lower belly.
Young Sparrows
Young black-striped sparrows look a bit different. They have brown stripes on a yellower head. Their upper parts are a brownish-olive color. Their undersides are a yellow-olive color.
What Does It Eat?
The black-striped sparrow mostly eats insects, spiders, and seeds. It finds these on the ground. It also picks berries and small creatures without backbones from low bushes. These birds are usually seen in pairs. They are quite shy and like to keep to themselves. You won't often see them in big groups.
What Does Its Nest Look Like?
The female black-striped sparrow builds a large, dome-shaped nest. It's made from rough plant materials. The nest has a wide opening on the side. These nests are usually placed less than 1 meter (3.3 feet) high in thick plants. Sometimes, they can be as high as 1.8 meters (5.9 feet).
The female usually lays two, or sometimes three, plain white eggs. She sits on the eggs by herself for 12 to 14 days until they hatch.
What Does It Sound Like?
The black-striped sparrow has a metallic call that sounds like "churk". The male bird sings from the ground or a low branch. His song is made of whistles and slurred notes. It often sounds like "tsweet-tsweet tsweet-tswee ti-ti-ti". This is usually followed by a trill (a quick, repeating sound). The exact song can change depending on where the bird lives.
Different Types of Black-Striped Sparrows
There are seven different types, or subspecies, of the black-striped sparrow. They live in different areas and have small differences in their size or color.
- A. c. conirostris (named by Bonaparte in 1850) lives in most of northern South America.
- A. c. inexpectatus (named by Chapman in 1914) lives in parts of western Colombia. It is smaller and duller.
- A. c. pastazae (named by Krabbe & Stejskal in 2008) is found in eastern Ecuador.
- A. c. richmondii (named by Ridgway in 1898) lives in Central America down to western Panama. It is smaller and brighter.
- A. c. striaticeps (named by Lafresnaye in 1853) lives from central Panama to western Ecuador. It has more white on its underside.
- A. c. umbrinus (named by Todd in 1923) lives near the Maracaibo basin in northern Colombia and Venezuela. It is another small, dull type, but brighter on top.
- A. c. viridicatus (named by Wetmore in 1957) lives on Isla de Coiba, an island in Panama. It has more grey on its head, chest, and sides.
