Photo: Bill Bouton / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cassin’s Sparrow
Peucaea cassinii
Cassin's Sparrow (Peucaea cassinii) — 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 Cassin’s Sparrow (Peucaea cassinii) is a member of the Passerellidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 18.9 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 Peucaea
- Species cassinii
Where it lives
South-central, southwestern USA and northern Mexico
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cassin’s Sparrow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Cassin’s Sparrow is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Cassin’s Sparrow (Peucaea cassinii) is a species of bird in the Passerellidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sc, sw USA and n Mexico.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.9 g, with a wing length of about 6.7 cm and a tail of around 6.6 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 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cassin’s Sparrow?
The Cassin’s Sparrow is a small bird that weighs around 18.9 g.
Where does the Cassin’s Sparrow live?
The Cassin’s Sparrow is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sc, sw USA and n Mexico, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Cassin’s Sparrow belong to?
The Cassin’s Sparrow (Peucaea cassinii) belongs to the Passerellidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Cassin’s Sparrow eat?
The Cassin’s Sparrow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Cassin’s Sparrow migrate?
The Cassin’s Sparrow is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Cassin’s 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 Cassin’s Sparrow make?
1 real field recording of the Cassin’s 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 Cassin’s Sparrow's range?
The Cassin’s Sparrow has a mapped global range of about 2 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.
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