Tumbes Sparrow
Rhynchospiza stolzmanni
Desert-loving sparrow found only in northwestern Peru and southwestern Ecuador. It has gray underparts, a brown back, a striped head, and a large bill; there is no similar species in its range. Rather solitary; usually feeds on the ground, where it can be hard to see in the low scrub it prefers. Occasionally comes up to perch on an exposed branch to sing or look around.
Identification
The Tumbes sparrow is a medium-sized sparrow some 14.5 cm (5.7 in) long. The beak is broad and conical, with the upper mandible blackish and the lower mandible horn-coloured. The head has a grey crown with a lateral chestnut stripe that continues as far as the nape, a white superciliary stripe and a brown eyestripe. The upper parts are greyish-brown, shaded with buff, and boldly streaked with black. The wings are blackish-brown with pale edges to the feathers. The greater and median wing-coverts are blackish with chestnut edges and pale tips, and the lesser coverts are chestnut, resulting in a rather obscure barring to the wings. The angle of the wing is pale yellow. The tail is blackish-brown with pale edges to the feathers. The throat is white and the underparts are greyish-white. There is a dark moustachial stripe at the base of the beak. The song can mainly be heard in the breeding season, and consists of a repeated, clear metallic note, reiterated up to five times "chew-chew-chew-chew" interspersed with some trills.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Rhynchospiza stolzmanni
- Authority
- (Taczanowski, 1877)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Genus
- Rhynchospiza
Range and habitat
This sparrow is endemic to the Tumbes Region of South America. Its range extends from the La Libertad Region of northwestern Peru to the Loja Province of southwestern Ecuador. Its altitudinal range is up to about 1,400 m (4,600 ft). Its typical habitat is dry scrub, open dry woodland, and semi-desert with cacti and bushes.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The species usually occurs singly or in pairs. It feeds on seeds and insects and usually forages on the ground. The nest is a cup-shaped structure made of grasses and lined with fine material in a concealed position among grasses on the ground. Breeding coincides with the rainy season and takes place from January to May.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Dolphin Gull
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Handsome, distinctive dark gull of southern South America and Falklands. Favors rocky coastal areas, but also ranges to lakes near the coast. Fairly common; can be confiding at harbors and waterfronts. Feeds mainly by scavenging and often gathers at sea mammal and seabird colonies. Adult has diagnostic smoky gray body, thick red bill, and red legs. Immature and nonbreeding adult have a dark hood, but immatures also have paler pinkish legs and bill, and a black band on the tail.
Dorst's Cisticola
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Small but strong-billed cisticola that is rufous on the cap and the back of the neck, rich gray-brown on the back, and pale buff below. The back is plain in breeding plumage but has blurry streaks in non-breeding plumage. Note the black band and pale tips across the end of the tail. Found locally in savanna and dry woodland, mostly in the grassy understory. Very similar to Red-pate Cisticola, and best distinguished by song, but also has a duller rufous cap and more buffy underparts, especially the undertail. Also similar to Foxy and Rufous Cisticolas, but larger, with a rufous cap that contrasts with the gray-brown back. The song is a short, high-pitched trill, sometimes followed by several whistled notes.
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