Chondestes grammacus
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lark Sparrow sighting in Portland on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 220th most-seen of the 230 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lark Sparrow in Portland on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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.
29th of 29
Of the 29 cities where we can rate Lark Sparrow sightings, Portland ranks 29th at under 5%. The best odds are in Guadalajara (México, about 10%), Toluca (México, about 10%) and León (México, about 10%).
Same family: Passerellidae
The closest relatives of the Lark Sparrow that you can see in Portland (family Passerellidae, New World Sparrows) are Song Sparrow (about 90%), Dark-eyed Junco (about 70%) and Spotted Towhee (about 60%), 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 Portland (12 verified sightings), 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.
