The rusty-crowned ground sparrow is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae that is endemic to western and southwestern Mexico. The species occurs both in the Sierra Madre Occidental range, and the Cordillera Neovolcanica mountain belt.
Region
Western and Southwestern Mexico
Typical Environment
Found from the Sierra Madre Occidental into the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, occupying foothill and montane slopes. Prefers pine–oak forest edges, scrubby clearings, canyons, and second-growth thickets, often near agricultural mosaics. It keeps close to dense understory and brush piles, using cover to forage on the ground. Avoids closed canopy interior forest and very open habitats. Often occurs along trails, hedgerows, and brushy ravines.
Altitude Range
600–2400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The rusty-crowned ground sparrow is a shy, ground-oriented sparrow endemic to western and southwestern Mexico. It favors brushy edges and pine–oak foothills where it forages by double-scratching through leaf litter. Its warm rusty crown contrasts with otherwise gray-brown plumage, making it distinctive at close range. It is typically encountered in pairs or small family groups and is a year-round resident.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low to the ground
Social Behavior
Usually found singly, in pairs, or small family groups. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low in dense vegetation or on banks, with both sexes involved in territorial defense. Breeding occurs in the warm season, with discreet movements under cover to reduce detection by predators.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song consists of clear, mellow whistles delivered from low perches within brush, often in short phrases. Calls include soft chips and thin tseep notes used to maintain contact in dense cover.
Plumage
Gray-brown upperparts with paler, clean underparts and buffy flanks; crown shows a warm rusty patch. Face is pale gray with subtle darker auriculars and a whitish throat. Tail is fairly long and often flicked while moving through understory.
Diet
Takes a mix of grass and weed seeds, small insects, and other invertebrates, adding berries seasonally. Forages primarily on the ground by persistent scratching in leaf litter, often performing the characteristic double-scratch. Insects form a larger share of the diet during breeding when protein demands increase.
Preferred Environment
Brushy edges of pine–oak woods, scrubby ravines, hedgerows, and weedy clearings with dense cover. Will also use semi-open agricultural mosaics and second-growth where leaf litter and seed sources are abundant.
