Cabanis's ground sparrow or Costa Rican ground sparrow (Melozone cabanisi), is a New World sparrow. It previously was considered a subspecies of the Prevost's ground sparrow.
| Cabanis's ground sparrow | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Passerellidae |
| Genus: | Melozone |
| Species: | M. cabanisi |
| Binomial name | |
| Melozone cabanisi (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1868) | |
 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Melozone biarcuata cabanisi | |
Cabanis's ground sparrow is endemic to central Costa Rica. It is ranked as "Near Threatened" by the IUCN due to its small range on the Meseta Central which has seen increased urban development in recent decades. Though it persists in altered habitats like coffee plantations, the sparrow has a limited distribution and the population is relatively small, estimated at only between 20,000 and 50,000 adult individuals. It is also believed to be decreasing in number.
Description
It is on average 15 cm long and weighs 28 g. The adult has a stubby dark-grey bill, unstreaked olive-brown upperparts, a rufous crown and mainly white underparts. Young birds are browner above, have yellower underparts, and a duller indistinct head pattern. The rufous of the crown extends to behind the eye and is bordered on its anterior edge with black. This black border is broken by a white eye ring. The forehead is white, bordered below with a thin black line; there is a black malar stripe, and a black central breast patch.
References
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