White-eared Ground-Sparrow
Melozone leucotis
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyPasserellidae (New World Sparrows)
- GenusMelozone (Ground-Sparrows and Brown Towhees)
- SpeciesMelozone leucotis (White-eared Ground-Sparrow)
About the White-eared Ground-Sparrow
The white-eared ground sparrow (Melozone leucotis) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The white-eared ground sparrow was formally described in 1861 with its present binomial Melozone leucotis.
The white-eared ground sparrow long was assigned three subspecies, the nominate M. l. leucotis (Cabanis, 1861), M. l. nigrior (Miller, W & Griscom, 1925), and M. l. occipitalis (Salvin, 1878). The last had originally been described as a species, and following two 2017 studies most taxonomic systems again recognized it as one, the grey-crowned ground sparrow, though some did not do so until 2025. However, in both 2018 and 2023 the American Ornithological Society declined to make the change, and as of 2025 AviList intends to revisit the issue.
This article follows the two-subspecies model. The white-eared ground sparrow is about 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs about 42 g (1.5 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a mostly black head with white patches in front of the eye and on the ear coverts, a broken white eye-ring, a... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of White-eared Ground-Sparrow in Braulio Carrillo National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Braulio Carrillo National Park
Cabanis's Ground-Sparrow
Melozone cabanisi
Orange-billed Sparrow
Arremon aurantiirostris
Common Chlorospingus
Chlorospingus flavopectus
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Yellow-thighed Finch
Atlapetes tibialis
Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager
Chlorospingus pileatus
Chestnut-capped Brushfinch
Arremon brunneinucha
Black-striped Sparrow
Arremonops conirostris
White-naped Brush-Finch
Atlapetes albinucha
Sooty-faced Finch
Arremon crassirostris
Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager
Chlorospingus canigularis
Large-footed Finch
Pezopetes capitalis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Poás Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Irazú Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a White-eared Ground-Sparrow in Braulio Carrillo National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-eared Ground-Sparrow sighting in Braulio Carrillo National Park, based on 97 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see White-eared Ground-Sparrow in Braulio Carrillo National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for White-eared Ground-Sparrow in Braulio Carrillo National Park in our monthly data.