Pectoral Sparrow
Arremon taciturnus
The Pectoral Sparrow (Arremon taciturnus) is a rare new world sparrow found in 8 countries, weighing about 25 g. The pectoral sparrow is a small species of New World sparrow first described in 1779 by Georges-Louis Leclerc.
About the Pectoral Sparrow
The pectoral sparrow is a small species of New World sparrow first described in 1779 by Georges-Louis Leclerc. It has two subspecies. Like other sparrows in its family Arremon, it has pale green-to-olive wings, a distinctive black band going across its breast, however in subspecies nigrirostris it is not continuous and instead breaks in the center. It is found throughout southeastern South America, in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. The phenology of its breeding is unknown, however it has been observed nest building as early as August and as late as December. Incubation takes 15–17 days, however the duration of the nestling and fledgling stages are unknown due to a lack of…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The pectoral sparrow is sexually dimorphic, and, as the name implies, sparrow-sized, at 15 cm (5.9 in) in length and 24 g (0.85 oz) in weight. Its upperparts are pale green, becoming yellow near the bend of the wing. The head is black, with white on its throat and as stripes on its crown. Its underparts are white in males and creamy in females, with males also having a broad black band going across its breast (a pectoral band). The beak is also black, roughly 14–15 mm (0.55–0.59 in) long for both males and females. Tails are 58–60 and 64–67 mm (2.3–2.4 and 2.5–2. Voice: The song of the pectoral sparrow is a high-pitched buzz, consisting of very short tzik notes (initial tzik note may be slightly faster, and lower in pitch.) and usually followed by 2-4 longer, almost identical tzzzzzz notes. The entire song lasts for 2–3 seconds, at a pitch of 8 kilohertz.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Pectoral Sparrow can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Pectoral Sparrow?
- The pectoral sparrow is sexually dimorphic, and, as the name implies, sparrow-sized, at 15 cm (5.9 in) in length and 24 g (0.85 oz) in weight. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Pectoral Sparrow?
- The Pectoral Sparrow is a small sized bird weighing about 25 g.
- Where can you see a Pectoral Sparrow?
- The Pectoral Sparrow occurs in 8 countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and Bolivia.
- What birds look similar to a Pectoral Sparrow?
- The Pectoral Sparrow is most easily confused with the Saffron-billed Sparrow, the Grey-browed Brushfinch and the Moss-backed Sparrow.
- Is the Pectoral Sparrow endangered?
- The Pectoral Sparrow is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Pectoral Sparrow for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.