Olive Sparrow
Arremonops rufivirgatus
A very plain sparrow found in dense brushy woodlands and weedy fields. Gray overall with dull greenish back. Look for obvious dark stripes on head, usually brownish but darker in western Mexico. Sexes are alike; young birds are buffier and streakier. Fairly common but shy and sometimes difficult to see well. Always on or near the ground. Primarily a Mexican species, with limited range in U.S. and an isolated population in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Listen for song, a series of sharp notes that speeds up towards the end. Compare with brighter Green-backed Sparrow of the Yucatan Peninsula; especially note different voice.
Identification
The olive sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found from Texas to Costa Rica.
Taxonomy
Genus: Arremonops; Family: Passerellidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Arremonops rufivirgatus
- Authority
- (Lawrence, 1851)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Genus
- Arremonops
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Tagula Butcherbird
Cracticus louisiadensis
A large, little-known bird of lowland forest on Tagula Island where the only butcherbird. Mainly black plumage with white mark at the shoulder, above and below the base, and also at the tip of the tail. Long, silvery bill with black tip. Trumpet Manucode is a similar size and co-occurs, but Tagula Butcherbird has obvious white markings. Typical butcherbird song of low warbles mixed with bell-like notes and loud “chok!” notes.
Short-tailed Batis
Batis mixta
Males have the typical batis pattern of black, white, and gray. Females have a more unusual pattern, with rufous in the wing and either a rufous or gray wash across the breast. Both sexes have a narrow pale eyebrow and orange or reddish eyes. Found in forest at low and middle elevations, often in pairs. Very similar to Dark Batis, but there is no known overlap in range. Males are similar to Chinspot and Pale Batises, but are distinguished by the darker eye and shorter tail. Females are distinctive. The song is variable, but is usually a long series of identical low-pitched tooting notes.
Rosy-throated Longclaw
Macronyx ameliae
Beautiful pipit that is pink below and streaked brown above. The male has a bold black chest band and streaking, while the female is not as heavily marked. Found in wet grasslands, where it is generally shy and inconspicuous. Vocalizations include a two-part “dhew-dhew” call that is sometimes quickly repeated or extended into a long whistle. Separated from other longclaws by its pink underparts.
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