- Rhynchospiza strigiceps
Aimophila strigiceps
Identification
15–16 cm (6-6¼ in)
- Grey central crown stripe
- Chestnut lateral crown stripes
- Grey face
- Cinnamon-brown Post-ocular stripe
- Black pre-ocular stripe
- Black moustachial stripe
- Black malar stripe
- Dark streaked light brown upperparts
- Grey underparts
- Rufous flanks
Distribution
South America: breeds in north central Argentina (Salta and Chaco south to La Rioja, San Luis, Córdoba, and Buenos Aires); partially migratory, wintering to southeastern Bolivia, western Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina (Corrientes and Entre Ríos)
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Chaco Sparrow and Yungas Sparrow were formerly combined in a single species under the name of Stripe-capped Sparrow.
Was formerly placed in genus Aimophila.
Habitat
Dry, open, shrubby forests with grass. Also agricultural land.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists mostly of seeds and insects. They generally feed alone on the ground, though sometimes seen in pairs.
Breeding
They construct the nest from dry grass and line it with fine material. It is positioned at the bottom
of a bush or in clumps of tall grass. The clutch contains 3-4 pale blue eggs.
The nest may be parasitised by Shiny Cowbird.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Birdforum thread discussing resurrection of Rhynchospiza
- Jaramillo, A. and N. C. García (2021). Chaco Sparrow (Rhynchospiza strigiceps), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.stcspa3.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Chaco Sparrow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Chaco_Sparrow
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
