Golden-winged Sparrow
Arremon schlegeli
Beautiful black-helmeted sparrow of forest understory. Contrasting black head, bright yellow bill, white throat and underparts, light gray mantle, yellow-green back and rump, gray wings and tail, and golden shoulders. Female has duller bill and buff-tinged underparts. Found alone or in pairs foraging in the understory of dry to humid forest and scrubby second growth. Vocalization is a high pitched “zeut, zeut, zeee.” The only totally black headed sparrow in its range. Found only in Colombia and Venezuela.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Arremon schlegeli
- Authority
- Bonaparte, 1850
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Genus
- Arremon
Range and habitat
The golden-winged sparrow lives in a terrestrial ecosystem. Its habitats include subtropical or tropical dry forests and shrubland, and subtropical or tropical heavily degraded former forest, either artificial or terrestrial.<p>The Golden Winged Sparrow also lives in woodland or dry areas from the lowlands up to 1400 meters. Within these habitats, they reside in forests, second-growth, thickets, ravines, and hillsides.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Golden-winged sparrows feed on or above the ground on seeds, fruit, and insects. They forage both alone and in pairs, in forests with second growth and dry to humid weather. The species breeds during the wet season due to an increase in singing activity. The song of golden-winged sparrows is commonly heard early in the morning during April and May. Their song is a high-pitched series of repeated notes, which have been described as the repetition of "Zeut-zeut-zeut-zee" or "Soot-soot-soot-see".
Conservation
There have been conservation sites found throughout the range where the golden-winged sparrow resides. The species has been found living in a protected area. However, there are still necessary conservation actions that need to be taken in the future.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Psilopogon javensis
Large barbet with an immense chisel-like bill. Leaf-green overall, with a red throat, black mask, and bright yellow crown and round spot at the base of the bill. Endemic to Java, where it inhabits lowland and foothill forests. Listen for its song, a series of hollow “took” notes, generally given in pairs. Like other barbets, often sluggish and difficult to see in the forest canopy.
Striated Laughingthrush
Grammatoptila striata
With its short bill and loose, bushy crest, this laughingthrush resembles a dark, rather unmarked barwing. Brown overall with pencil-thin white lines all over the body. Crest is dark brown, and wings are dull rufous. Inhabits forests and adjoining areas with dense undergrowth in the Himalayan foothills. Like many other laughingthrushes, highly social and often found in flocks, which keep in contact with calls ranging from harsh screeches to hooting. Often gives a series of repeated loud, upslurred notes.
Papuan Grassbird
Cincloramphus macrurus
A medium-sized bird of grasslands. Long, pointed tail, upperparts with bold, black streaks, pale gray underparts and a whitish throat. Crown, wing and tail washed rufous. Likes to stay hidden but when flushed, flies low, from one clump of vegetation to the next. Separated geographically from Fly River and Tawny Grassbirds. Little Grassbird is smaller and lacks rufous in the wing. Australian Reed-Warbler, superficially similar but lacks streaking. More often heard than seen. Voice, an explosive “chwik!” often given while sat on top of vegetation.
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