Aimophila rufescens
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The rusty sparrow (Aimophila rufescens) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found from Mexico to Costa Rica. The rusty sparrow was formally described by William Swainson in 1827 with the binomial Pipilo rufescens, placing it among the towhees. In 1840 it was reassigned to its present genus Aimophila that Swainson had erected in 1837; the now A. rufescens was designated the genus' type species.
The rusty sparrow has these seven subspecies: The rusty sparrow is 16.5 to 20 cm (6.5 to 7.9 in) long and weighs 34 to 48 g (1.2 to 1.7 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies A. r. rufescens have a chestnut crown with black streaks and a thin olive gray or buffy stripe in its middle. They have dark brown lores, a whitish streak above the lores, a white eye-ring, and a dusky stripe behind the eye on an otherwise olive grayish face. Their back and scapulars are brown with wide black streaks. Their wings are mostly brown with chestnut secondaries and inner greater coverts. Their tail is chestnut brown. Their chin, throat, and belly are grayish buff with a blackish stripe on... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cusuco National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Celaque National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | La Tigra National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 7 | Rincón de la Vieja National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Lago de Yojoa | 🇭🇳 Honduras |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 2 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rusty Sparrow sighting in El Triunfo on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 215th most-seen of the 221 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rusty Sparrow in El Triunfo on a given day, against under 5% in February–April and July–December, the lowest months. June has too few records to rate.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rusty 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.
5th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Rusty Sparrow sightings, El Triunfo ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Cusuco National Park (Honduras, about 20%), Celaque National Park (Honduras, about 20%) and La Tigra National Park (Honduras, about 10%).
Same family: Passerellidae
The closest relatives of the Rusty Sparrow that you can see in El Triunfo (family Passerellidae, New World Sparrows) are White-eared Ground-Sparrow (about 30%), Common Chlorospingus (about 30%) and Rufous-collared Sparrow (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rusty Sparrow is recorded against all the birds logged in El Triunfo (6 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.
