Chondestes grammacus
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The lark sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) is a fairly large New World sparrow. It is the only member of the genus Chondestes. It breeds in southern Canada, much of the United States, and northern Mexico. It is much less common in the east, where its range is contracting. The populations in Mexico and adjacent states of the United States are resident, but other birds are migratory, wintering in the southern United States, Mexico and south to Guatemala.
It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe, with two accepted records in Great Britain in 1981 and 1991. The lark sparrow is distinctive. Adults have a typically sparrow-like dark-streaked brown back, and white underparts except for a dark central spot. The cheeks and crown sides are chestnut, with white eyebrow and crown stripes. The dark tail's corners are also white. Young lark sparrows are duller, and the underparts are streaked.
Measurements: Length: 5.9–6.7 in (15–17 cm) Weight: 0.8–1.2 oz (24–33 g) Wingspan: 11.0 in (28 cm) They forage on the ground or in low bushes. They mainly eat seeds, but insects, including grasshoppers, are also eaten in the breeding... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoológico Benito Juárez | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Lark Sparrow sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 839 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 53rd most-seen of the 270 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Lark Sparrow in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, July and November–January, the lowest months. That is one of Big Bend National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 50 mm in September.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lark Sparrow sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 23
Of the 23 parks where we can rate Lark Sparrow sightings, Big Bend National Park ranks 4th at about 20%. The best odds are in Badlands National Park (United States, about 50%), Cabo Pulmo National Park (Mexico, about 40%) and Bahía de Loreto National Park (Mexico, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Passerellidae
The closest relatives of the Lark Sparrow that you can see in Big Bend National Park (family Passerellidae, New World Sparrows) are Canyon Towhee (about 40%), Chipping Sparrow (about 40%) and Black-throated Sparrow (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lark Sparrow is recorded against all the birds logged in Big Bend National Park (839 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
