Chondestes grammacus
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lark Sparrow sighting in Toluca on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 68th most-seen of the 118 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Lark Sparrow in Toluca on a given day, against under 5% in February, July–August and October–December, the lowest months. That is one of Toluca's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against 5 mm in December.
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.
Among the best
Of the 29 cities where we can rate Lark Sparrow sightings, Toluca ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Guadalajara (México, about 10%).
Same family: Passerellidae
The closest relatives of the Lark Sparrow that you can see in Toluca (family Passerellidae, New World Sparrows) are Canyon Towhee (about 80%), Song Sparrow (about 70%) and Striped Sparrow (about 50%), 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 Toluca (20 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.
