Sierra Madre sparrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sierra Madre sparrow |
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Xenospiza
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baileyi
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The Sierra Madre sparrow (Xenospiza baileyi), also called Bailey's sparrow, is a special type of American sparrow. It is an endangered bird that lives only in a few places in Mexico. This means it is native only to Mexico. Its home is shrinking, which puts it at risk of extinction.
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What's in a Name?
The name Xenospiza comes from Ancient Greek words. Xénos means "a stranger," and spíza means "finch." So, it's like a "stranger finch."
The second part of its name, baileyi, honors Alfred M. Bailey. He was the person who found a special bird in 1931. This bird helped scientists understand that the Sierra Madre sparrow was a unique species.
How Was This Sparrow Discovered?
Scientists first found the Sierra Madre sparrow in 1889. This happened near a place called Bolaños in Jalisco, Mexico. At first, they thought these birds were just different kinds of other sparrows. Some even thought they might be hybrids, which are mixes of two different species.
It wasn't until 1931 that another bird was found near Durango. This new discovery helped scientists realize that the Sierra Madre sparrow was its own distinct species.
Where Do These Sparrows Live Now?
A group of these sparrows living in the southern part of Mexico was found in 1945. These birds have been seen in areas around Mexico City, Morelos, and Estado de México.
For a long time, the sparrows in the northern part of Mexico were hard to find. Between 1951 and 2004, no one saw them. People thought they might have disappeared. But in 2004, a small group was found again in the same area near El Salto.
Even though there are two groups, they don't mix with each other. This means they are like two separate, important groups of the same species. The Sierra Madre sparrow is the only species in its genus called Xenospiza. It lives in high mountain grasslands.
Where Does the Sierra Madre Sparrow Live?
This sparrow lives only in certain mountain ranges in Mexico. These mountains are part of the Sierra Madre Occidental. The bird needs special habitats like areas with tall, clumpy grasses and marshlands. It lives in volcanic mountains, at high elevations.
The northern group of sparrows lives in slightly lower areas, around 2,300 to 3,050 meters (7,500 to 10,000 feet) high. The southern group lives in even higher places.
What Does Their Habitat Look Like?
We don't know much about the northern sparrow's exact habitat. But we do know that pine, oak, and Arbutus trees (like the Arizona Madrone) are found there.
We know more about the southern sparrow's home. It has specific types of bunchgrasses. These include Festuca amplissima, Peruvian feather grass (Stipa ichu), and two kinds of muhly grass (Muhlenbergia affinis and Muhlenbergia macroura). Sometimes, small groups of Montezuma Pine and Lumholtz' Pine trees grow on higher ground.
Why Is This Sparrow Endangered?
The Sierra Madre sparrow is in great danger. Its home is being cleared away to create pastures for animals. This loss of habitat is the biggest threat to the bird.
The IUCN Red List says this sparrow is an Endangered species. This is because it lives in a very small area, less than 5,000 square kilometers (about 1,900 square miles). Also, the amount of suitable habitat and the number of sparrows are both shrinking.
Even though the northern group was found again, there are only a few birds left. Scientists need to do more research to find other groups of these sparrows. It's possible that this bird might soon be listed as "Critically Endangered," which is an even more serious category. Only one of the four known groups of sparrows seems to have a good number of birds.
Images for kids
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A Sierra Madre sparrow perched on a branch.
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Map showing the distribution of the Sierra Madre sparrow in Mexico.
