Olive Sparrow
Arremonops rufivirgatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyPasserellidae (New World Sparrows)
- GenusArremonops (Olive Sparrows and Allies)
- SpeciesArremonops rufivirgatus (Olive Sparrow)
About the Olive Sparrow
The olive sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found from Texas to Costa Rica. The olive sparrow was formally described in 1851 with the binomial Embernagra rufivigata and the English name "brown striped olive finch". In 1896 Robert Ridgway erected the genus Arremonops and reassigned the olive sparrow to it as the type species.
The olive sparrow's further taxonomy is unsettled. The IOC and AviList assign it these eight subspecies: A. r. rufivirgatus (Lawrence, 1851) A. r. crassirostris (Ridgway, 1878) A. r. rhyptothorax Parkes, 1974 A. r. verticalis (Ridgway, 1878)
A. r. sinaloae Nelson, 1899 A. r. sumichrasti (Sharpe, 1888) A. r. chiapensis Nelson, 1904 A. r. superciliosus (Salvin, 1865) However, as of late 2025 the Clements taxonomy and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World add a ninth subspecies, A. r. ridgwayi (Sutton & Burleigh, 1941). The other systems include it within the nominate A. r. rufivirgatus.
This article follows the eight-subspecies model. The olive sparrow is about 12 to 14 cm (4.7 to 5.5 in) long and weighs 15 to 30 g... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park
Green-backed Sparrow
Arremonops chloronotus
Grasshopper Sparrow
Ammodramus savannarum
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Brown Jay
Psilorhinus morio
Montezuma Oropendola
Psarocolius montezuma
Melodious Blackbird
Dives dives
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Magnolia Warbler
Setophaga magnolia
Lesser Greenlet
Hylophilus decurtatus
Spot-breasted Wren
Pheugopedius maculipectus
Black-and-white Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Masked Tityra
Tityra semifasciata
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Rincón de la Vieja National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Palo Verde National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Carara National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Ostional Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 10 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 11 | Masaya Volcano National Park | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 12 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 13 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 14 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 15 | Biotopo Cerro Cahuí | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 16 | Las Baulas Marine National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Olive Sparrow in Tikal National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Olive Sparrow sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Olive Sparrow in Tikal National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Olive Sparrow in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.