Rusty-crowned Ground Sparrow
Melozone kieneri
The rusty-crowned ground sparrow is 15 to 18 cm (5.9 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 35 to 41 g (1.2 to 1.4 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a dusky black forecrown and a rufous crown; the rufous continues around behind the dusky black ear coverts and then forward under them. They have white lores and a broken white eye-ring. Their upperparts, wings, and tail are brown. Their underparts are mostly white with a black spot in the center of the breast, brown flanks, and rufescent undertail coverts. Voice: The rusty-crowned ground sparrow's song is a "very high simple calm unstructured tjitit-tjitit-tutututut". It also makes "a high, thin, slightly wiry lisping dzzzzzzzziu or ssssssziu, a high, thin ti, often doubled, and high, sharp chips, tk or tsik".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
White-eared Ground Sparrow
Melozone leucotis
The white-eared ground sparrow is about 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs about 42 g (1.5 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a mostly black head with white patches in front of the eye and on the ear coverts, a broken white eye-ring, a large yellow patch behind the ear coverts and on the sides of the neck, and a thin yellow line above the last. Their mantle is gray-brown and the rest of their upperparts, wings, and tail are olive-green. Their throat is black and a large black patch in the center of the breast sometimes connects to it. Voice: In Costa Rica the male white-eared ground sparrow's song "begins slowly, then quickly accelerates into a profusion of loud, high notes". They usually have a repertoire of up to eight song variations. Pairs sometimes sing in duet. Both sexes make chip and seet calls. Males sing solo only during the breeding season; duets and calls are made year-round.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Rusty-crowned Ground Sparrow and White-eared Ground Sparrow.