Photo: Dominic Sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Prevost’s Ground Sparrow
Melozone biarcuata
Prevost's Ground Sparrow (Melozone biarcuata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Prevost’s Ground Sparrow (Melozone biarcuata) is a member of the Passerellidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 30.6 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 Melozone
- Species biarcuata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 30.6 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Prevost’s Ground 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 Prevost’s Ground Sparrow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Prevost’s Ground Sparrow (Melozone biarcuata) is a member of the Passerellidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA se Mexico to El Salvador.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 30.6 g, with a wing length of about 7.2 cm and a tail of around 7.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 86,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Prevost’s Ground Sparrow?
The Prevost’s Ground Sparrow is a small bird that weighs around 30.6 g.
Where does the Prevost’s Ground Sparrow live?
The Prevost’s Ground Sparrow is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA se Mexico to El Salvador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Prevost’s Ground Sparrow belong to?
The Prevost’s Ground Sparrow (Melozone biarcuata) belongs to the Passerellidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Prevost’s Ground Sparrow eat?
The Prevost’s Ground Sparrow is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Prevost’s Ground Sparrow migrate?
The Prevost’s Ground Sparrow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Prevost’s Ground 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 Prevost’s Ground Sparrow make?
1 real field recording of the Prevost’s Ground Sparrow — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Prevost’s Ground Sparrow's range?
The Prevost’s Ground Sparrow has a mapped global range of about 86,000 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
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
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.