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Olive Sparrow

Arremonops rufivirgatusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Breeding Location:

Bushes, shrubs, and thickets



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester



Breeding Population:



Egg Color:

White



Number of Eggs:

2 - 5



Incubation Days:

10 - 12



Egg Incubator:

Female



Nest Material:

Dry grasses, sticks, stems, leaves, and bark pieces., Lined with mammal hair and finer materials.



Migration:

Nonmigratory



Splitbar

Overview

Olive Sparrow: Medium-sized sparrow with olive-brown upperparts. Underparts are olive-gray on breast, sides, flanks and undertail coverts, and white on chin, throat and belly. Also has wide brown stripe on each side of crown and dark line through eye. Tail is rounded and dark brown.

Range and Habitat

Olive Sparrow: Resident in lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Preferred habitats include thickets and thorn scrub.

Breeding and Nesting

Olive Sparrow: Two to five white eggs are laid in a nest made of dried grass, sticks, stems, leaves, and bark pieces, lined with mammal hair and finer materials, and built in a bush or cactus, 2 to 5 feet above the ground, or sometimes on the ground. Incubation ranges from 10 to 12 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Olive Sparrow: Eats seeds and insects. Forages low in trees, bushes, and on the ground.

Readily Eats

Sunflower Seed, Commercial Mixed Bird Seed

Vocalization

Olive Sparrow: Song is a repetitive accelerating series of "chip" notes, preceded by one or two introductory notes "chip, chip, chip-chip-chip-chip-chip." Call is an insect-like "speeee" or a sharp "tsik."

Similar Species

Olive Sparrow: Green-tailed Towhee is larger, has red-brown cap, black line bordering white moustache stripe, gray head and underparts, and lacks eyestripe.

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Family
Species Arremonops rufivirgatus
Length6.55 Inches
Wingspan9 Inches

Olive Sparrow

Olive Sparrow: Medium-sized sparrow with olive-brown upperparts. Underparts are olive-gray on breast, sides, flanks and undertail coverts, and white on chin, throat and belly. Also has wide brown stripe on each side of crown and dark line through eye. Tail is rounded and dark brown.

● Song: "chip, chip, chip-chip-chip-chip-chip", "speeee", "tsik"

● Foraging & Feeding: Olive Sparrow: Eats seeds and insects. Forages low in trees, bushes, and on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Olive Sparrow: Two to five white eggs are laid in a nest made of dried grass, sticks, stems, leaves, and bark pieces, lined with mammal hair and finer materials, and built in a bush or cactus, 2 to 5 feet above the ground, or sometimes on the ground. Incubation ranges from 10 to 12 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Olive Sparrow: Green-tailed Towhee is larger, has red-brown cap, black line bordering white moustache stripe, gray head and underparts, and lacks eyestripe.

Flight Pattern

Short flights with series of rapid wing beats alternating with wings pulled to sides.
Olive Sparrow Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Olive Sparrow: Resident in lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Preferred habitats include thickets and thorn scrub.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
Population
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight0.8 Ounces