Photo: Patrick Coin (Patrick Coin) / CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-throated Sparrow
Amphispiza bilineata
Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) is a member of the Passerellidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 13.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Passerellidae New World Sparrows
- Genus Amphispiza
- Species bilineata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13.5 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-throated Sparrow is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Black-throated Sparrow is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) belongs to the Passerellidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA w USA to c Mexico.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13.5 g, with a wing length of about 6.4 cm and a tail of around 6.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-throated Sparrow?
The Black-throated Sparrow is a very small bird that weighs around 13.5 g.
Where does the Black-throated Sparrow live?
The Black-throated Sparrow is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA w USA to c Mexico, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-throated Sparrow belong to?
The Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) belongs to the Passerellidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-throated Sparrow eat?
The Black-throated Sparrow is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Black-throated Sparrow migrate?
The Black-throated Sparrow is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Black-throated Sparrow endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-throated Sparrow make?
1 real field recording of the Black-throated Sparrow — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-throated Sparrow's range?
The Black-throated Sparrow has a mapped global range of about 2.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Passerellidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.