Birdsong field guide
Gray-crowned Ground-Sparrow
Melozone occipitalis
A large, elusive sparrow of the Central American highlands, easily identified by its slate-gray crown and distinctive rufous patch on the nape.
What it sounds like
A high-pitched, thin 'tsee' or 'tsit' followed by a rapid, accelerating series of squeaky notes.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto
Field notes
- Formerly treated as conspecific with the White-eared Ground-Sparrow (Melozone leucotis) before being split based on plumage and vocalizations.
- Utilizes a 'double-scratch' foraging technique, jumping forward and kicking back with both feet to uncover invertebrates in leaf litter.
- Possesses a distinct black 'breast spot' or 'stick-pin' marking on its otherwise pale underparts.
- Often occurs in shade-grown coffee plantations, which serve as a critical secondary habitat for the species.
- Despite its name, it is more closely related to towhees than to the 'true' sparrows of the genus Spizella.
Habitat
Humid to semi-arid evergreen forest edges, thickets, dense second-growth scrub, and shaded coffee understory.
Range
Highlands of southern Mexico (Chiapas) through Guatemala and El Salvador to western Honduras.
Similar & commonly confused birds
Abert's TowheeMelozone abertiCabanis's Ground-SparrowMelozone cabanisiCalifornia TowheeMelozone crissalisCanyon TowheeMelozone fuscaRusty-crowned Ground-SparrowMelozone kieneriRusty-crowned Ground-SparrowMelozone kieneriWhite-eared Ground-SparrowMelozone leucotisWhite-faced Ground-SparrowMelozone biarcuata
Heard a Gray-crowned Ground-Sparrow?
Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.
Identify a bird by its song