Cabanis's ground sparrow (Melozone cabanisi) or the Costa Rican ground sparrowHBW and BirdLife International (2025). Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 10. Available at: https://datazone.birdlife.org/about-our-science/taxonomy#birdlife-s-taxonomic-checklist retrieved October 12, 2025 is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is endemic to Costa Rica.

Taxonomy and systematics

Cabanis's ground sparrow has a complicated taxonomic history. It was formally described by Philip Sclater and Osbert Salvin in 1868 with the binomial Pyrgisoma cabanisi. Some early twentieth century authors treated it as conspecific with the rusty-crowned ground sparrow (Melozone kieneri) and by late in the century most taxonomic systems treated it as a subspecies of Melozone biarcuata (Prevost's or white-faced ground sparrow). In 2012 the IOC again recognized it as a full species.Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2012. IOC World Bird List (v 3.1) Other systems slowly followed suit.BirdLife International (2016) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. [Old] Version 9. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/BirdLife_Checklist_Version_90.zip.R. Terry Chesser, Kevin J. Burns, Carla Cicero, Jon L. Dunn, Andrew W. Kratter, Irby J. Lovette, Pamela C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Jr., James D. Rising, Douglas F. Stotz, and Kevin Winker. "Fifty-eighth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds". The Auk 2017, vol. 134:751–773 retrieved February 12, 2023Clements, J. F., et al. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. retrieved August 20, 2018

Cabanis's ground sparrow is monotypic.

Description

Cabanis's ground sparrow is about long. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a black forecrown. The rest of their crown and their ear coverts are chestnut or chestnut-rufous; the latter have a thin U-shaped black line around their bottom half. They have white lores, a white eye-ring, and white cheeks, chin, and throat with a thin black "moustache". Their back, scapulars, rump, uppertail coverts, wings, and tail are olive or olive-brown, though their nape, upper back, and lesser wing coverts are somewhat grayish. The centers of their breast and belly are white with a black patch in the middle breast. The sides of their neck and breast are gray, their flanks buffy grayish brown, and their undertail coverts pale buffy. They have a reddish brown iris, a black bill, and horn-colored legs and feet. Juveniles have rusty brownish streaked with dusky where adults are chestnut. Most of their upperparts' feathers have small dusky tips. Where adults have white underparts, juveniles' are pale yellowish with dusky mottling.Ramos-Ordoñez, M. F., C. I. Rodríguez-Flores, C. A. Soberanes-González, M. d. C. Arizmendi, A. Jaramillo, and T. S. Schulenberg (2020). Cabanis's Ground-Sparrow (Melozone cabanisi), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.pregrs2.01 retrieved May 20, 2026

Distribution and habitat

Cabanis's ground sparrow is found in the highlands of north-central Costa Rica's Central Valley approximately between northern San José Province and central Cartago Province. It inhabits a variety of somewhat open landscapes including scrubby areas, the edges of forest, hedgerows, shade coffee plantations, and suburban gardens. It also is found in urban areas. In elevation it ranges between .

Behavior Movement

Cabanis's ground sparrow is a year-round resident.

Feeding

The diet of Cabanis's ground sparrow has not been detailed but is known to include seeds and small insects. It forages in pairs, on the ground or very low in vegetation. It kicks leaf litter backwards with both feet simultaneously.

Breeding

Cabanis's ground sparrow breeds mostly between May and September though its season may extend to early November. Its nest is a cup made from somewhat coarse plant material lined with finer fibers including horse hair. It is typically on the ground, on a clump of grass, or in a dense shrub up to about above the ground. The clutch is two to three eggs that are white or slightly bluish white mottled with cinnamon or reddish brown. The incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known. Nests are often parasitized by bronzed cowbirds (Molothrus aeneus).

Vocalization

The song of Cabanis's ground sparrow is "a high, thin, staccato sputter, a buzzy note, and/or a slow trill followed by 3-4 clear, forceful whistles: Pst-t-t-t peee-peer-peer, bzeew whee-whee-whee, or bzeew tow-hewhewhewhe peer-peer-peer-pee".Stiles, F. G., and A. F. Skutch (1989). A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA Its calls include "weak, high, staccato, tsit notes", a sharp whistled "pseee psee psee", and a "sharp, thin pseeer".

Status

The IUCN originally in 2016 assessed Cabanis's ground sparrow as being of Least Concern but since 2020 as Near Threatened. The IUCN estimates its population to be at least 20,000 mature individuals and decreasing. However, a study published in 2020 estimated its population at approximately 3000 to 12,000 mature individuals. "Even though the species occupies a variety of habitats, it seems more and more threatened by land-use change, especially by the conversion of shaded coffee plantations and thickets into urban and suburban habitats." The IUCN states that the species is common but a 2007 field guide calls it uncommon.

References