Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a White-eared Ground Sparrow (Melozone leucotis)
White-eared Ground Sparrow

White-eared Ground Sparrow

Melozone leucotis

The White-eared Ground Sparrow, known scientifically as Melozone leucotis, is a robust American sparrow that graces the foothills of Middle America. This bird, with an average length of 17.5 cm and a weight of 43 g, boasts a distinctive appearance characterized by unstreaked olive-brown upperparts and a head adorned with a black and white pattern.

Identification Tips

Adults of this species can be recognized by their stubby dark-grey bill and the striking black head with a broken white eye ring. White patches are present before and after the eye, while the nape gleams with a green hue and the sides of the neck shine with bright yellow. A black throat and breast patch, edged by a thin rufous-grey line, contrast sharply with the predominantly white underparts, which are tinged with grey on the flanks. Juveniles display yellower underparts and a more subdued head pattern.

Habitat

The White-eared Ground Sparrow favors the undergrowth and thickets found in ravines, forest edges, and semi-open woodlands, including secondary growth and large gardens. It thrives at altitudes ranging from 500 to 2,000 meters.

Distribution

This species is a local resident in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and extends down to northern Costa Rica.

Behaviour

Typically encountered in pairs, the White-eared Ground Sparrow is a shy bird, often best observed at dawn or dusk. It is more readily seen than its elusive relative, Prevost's Ground Sparrow.

Song & Calls

The call of this bird is a thin "tsip," while the male's song is an explosive whistled "spit-CHUR see-see-see."

Breeding

The female constructs a substantial nest on the ground or slightly elevated, using stems, twigs, and other plant materials. It is well-concealed among banana plants or orchids. She lays two brown-blotched white eggs and incubates them for 12-14 days, with the male assisting in feeding the chicks.

Similar Species

Subspecies M. l. nigrior from North Nicaragua has a broader black breast spot compared to the nominate form in Costa Rica. The northernmost subspecies, M. l. occipitalis, is distinguished by a grey crown stripe, a prominent yellow supercilium, and a very small breast spot.

Diet and Feeding

The White-eared Ground Sparrow forages on the ground for seeds, fallen berries, insects, and spiders.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-eared Ground Sparrow as Least Concern, indicating a stable population without significant immediate threats to its survival.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

White-eared Ground Sparrows on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More New World Sparrows

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Abi.M
Awesome App
I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Pdydhdrexgi
Fantastic App
This is a really lovely app, for everyone interested in birds - from newbies to old hands. There is a very friendly feel to the community and you will genuinely learn a lot as you record your sightings and photos. There are lots of badges and competitions to keep you engaged, and a host of really useful features.
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.