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Black-chested Sparrow Peucaea humeralis Scientific name definitions

James D. Rising
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2011

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Introduction

Black-chested Sparrow  is a handsome Mexican endemic of the Pacific slope, ranging from southern Jalisco and extreme western Oaxaca inland to southern Puebla. It inhabits arid thorn forest and scrubby thickets from near sea level to about 1500 m. Although the white moustache and loral streaks are similar to those of several other dry land sparrows, the white underparts with a broad black breast band, rufous back, and gray head should preclude confusion.

Field Identification

15–15·5 cm; 18–27·6 g. A medium-sized sparrow. Has head blackish, white loral spot and moustachial stripe; white throat bordered by thin black malar stripe and black chestband (in fresh plumage, black areas, including on head, partly obscured by pale rufous feather fringes); upperparts rufous, mottled darker brown, becoming olive-brown on rump and uppertail-coverts; tail and upperwing blackish-brown, feathers edged paler brown, two whitish wingbars; underparts whitish, flanks and undertail-coverts washed with cinnamon; iris brown; upper mandible black, lower mandible blue-grey; legs pale pinkish. Sexes similar. Juvenile is duller than adult, with greyish head and chestband, rufous-streaked crown.

Systematics History

Birds of N Colima have sometimes been separated as race asticta, but doubtfully valid. Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

WC & SC Mexico from S Jalisco and Colima E to Morelos and Puebla, S to Guerrero and SW Oaxaca.

Habitat

Arid tropical scrub-forest and thorn-forest with trees 11–32 m tall and with continuous canopy of varying heights; at 300–1500 m.

Movement

Sedentary.

Diet and Foraging

Little information on diet; in breeding season, at least, mainly animal items, especially insects, such as lepidopteran larvae, grasshoppers (Orthoptera), termite (Isoptera) workers, also some seeds and fruit. Usually feeds in canopy, where it catches insects often by foliage-gleaning in manner of a vireo (Vireonidae) or by hover-picking. Generally forages singly or in pairs; larger groups unusual, and probably family parties.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song, sometimes in duet, typically a high liquid twittering preceded by one to a few short introductory notes, “bzz, bzz, bzz, t-chip ichip tip-i-see”; also has chatter-song, lasting 1·5–2 seconds, or a soft ­“whisper song”. Call “pit-za”; also “chip”, sometimes followed by trill, also a thin “tzeet”.

Breeding

Season May–Sept; probably double-brooded, and perhaps multi-brooded. Apparently monogamous, and generally seen in pairs. Nest made from dry grasses and twigs, lined with fine grasses and cattle hair, often with canopy of dry grass constructed over it, placed on or near ground in thick cover. Eggs whitish-blue with dark spots. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Balsas Region and Interior Oaxaca EBA. Often common or very common in appropriate habitat.
Distribution of the Black-chested Sparrow - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Black-chested Sparrow

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Rising, J. D. (2020). Black-chested Sparrow (Peucaea humeralis), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.blcspa1.01
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