The São Francisco sparrow is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae that is endemic to Brazil. The species was described in 1997 by Marcos Raposo in his book Ararajuba. The species feeds on caatinga and is found in the valley of Rio São Francisco and in the states such as Bahia and Minas Gerais. Unlike its cousins the pectoral and half-collared sparrows, the São Francisco sparrow has a full breast band, which later reduces itself to two breast patches closer to the wing bend. The species also has other distinguishing features of orange bill and black culmen. They are threatened due to habitat loss.
Region
Northeastern Brazil
Typical Environment
Occurs along the middle to upper São Francisco River valley in the caatinga domain, favoring dense thorny scrub, dry forest edges, and riparian gallery vegetation. It keeps to shaded understory with leaf litter and tangled shrubs for cover. The species also uses secondary growth and shrubby mosaics near rocky slopes, but avoids wide-open farmland. Local presence is patchy where native caatinga has been cleared or degraded.
Altitude Range
100–1200 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Endemic to Brazil’s São Francisco River valley, this ground-sparrow keeps to dense caatinga thickets and gallery scrub, where it forages quietly on or near the ground. It differs from related pectoral and half-collared sparrows by showing a full black breast band that can break into two patches near the wing bend, and it often shows an orange bill with a darker culmen. Habitat loss and fragmentation in the semi-arid caatinga are its main threats.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, bounding flights between cover
Social Behavior
Typically found singly, in pairs, or family groups, keeping close to dense cover. Nests are likely cup-shaped and placed low in shrubs or dense tangles, as in congeners. Territorial during breeding, with soft contact calls used to maintain pair cohesion.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song consists of clear, whistled notes delivered in short phrases from within cover or low perches. Calls are thin, high-pitched chips and seeps, often given while foraging in the understory.
