New World Sparrows

New World sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming the family Passerellidae. They are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns. Although they share the name sparrow, New World sparrows are more closely related to Old World buntings than they are to the Old World sparrows (family Passeridae).

Species in this family

• Oaxaca Sparrow Aimophila notosticta
• Rusty Sparrow Aimophila rufescens
• Rufous-crowned Sparrow Aimophila ruficeps
• Yellow-browed Sparrow Ammodramus aurifrons
• Grassland Sparrow Ammodramus humeralis
• Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum
• Saltmarsh Sparrow Ammospiza caudacuta
• LeConte's Sparrow Ammospiza leconteii
• Seaside Sparrow Ammospiza maritima
• Nelson's Sparrow Ammospiza nelsoni
• Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
• Five-striped Sparrow Amphispizopsis quinquestriata
• Black-capped Sparrow Arremon abeillei
• Grey-browed Brushfinch Arremon assimilis
• Black-headed Brushfinch Arremon atricapillus
• Orange-billed Sparrow Arremon aurantiirostris
• Sierra Nevada Brushfinch Arremon basilicus
• Chestnut-capped Brushfinch Arremon brunneinucha
• Olive Finch Arremon castaneiceps
• Costa Rican Brushfinch Arremon costaricensis
• Sooty-faced Finch Arremon crassirostris
• Moss-backed Sparrow Arremon dorbignii
• Saffron-billed Sparrow Arremon flavirostris
• Sao Francisco Sparrow Arremon franciscanus
• Green-backed Sparrow Arremonops chloronotus
• Black-striped Sparrow Arremonops conirostris
• Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus
• Tocuyo Sparrow Arremonops tocuyensis
• Perija Brushfinch Arremon perijanus
• Caracas Brushfinch Arremon phaeopleurus
• Paria Brushfinch Arremon phygas
• Golden-winged Sparrow Arremon schlegeli
• Half-collared Sparrow Arremon semitorquatus
• Pectoral Sparrow Arremon taciturnus
• White-browed Brushfinch Arremon torquatus
• Green-striped Brushfinch Arremon virenticeps
• Bell's Sparrow Artemisiospiza belli
• Sagebrush Sparrow Artemisiospiza nevadensis
• White-headed Brushfinch Atlapetes albiceps
• White-naped Brushfinch Atlapetes albinucha
• Moustached Brushfinch Atlapetes albofrenatus
• Antioquia Brushfinch Atlapetes blancae
• Cuzco Brushfinch Atlapetes canigenis
• Yellow-striped Brushfinch Atlapetes citrinellus
• Yellow-headed Brushfinch Atlapetes flaviceps
• Apurimac Brushfinch Atlapetes forbesi
• Fulvous-headed Brushfinch Atlapetes fulviceps
• Dusky-headed Brushfinch Atlapetes fuscoolivaceus
• Yellow-breasted Brushfinch Atlapetes latinuchus
• White-rimmed Brushfinch Atlapetes leucopis
• White-winged Brushfinch Atlapetes leucopterus
• Yellow-green Brushfinch Atlapetes luteoviridis
• Santa Marta Brushfinch Atlapetes melanocephalus
• Black-faced Brushfinch Atlapetes melanolaemus
• Black-spectacled Brushfinch Atlapetes melanopsis
• Rusty-bellied Brushfinch Atlapetes nationi
• Pale-headed Brushfinch Atlapetes pallidiceps
• Pale-naped Brushfinch Atlapetes pallidinucha
• Tepui Brushfinch Atlapetes personatus
• Rufous-capped Brushfinch Atlapetes pileatus
• Rufous-eared Brushfinch Atlapetes rufigenis
• Bolivian Brushfinch Atlapetes rufinucha
• Slaty Brushfinch Atlapetes schistaceus
• Bay-crowned Brushfinch Atlapetes seebohmi
• Ochre-breasted Brushfinch Atlapetes semirufus
• Yellow-thighed Brushfinch Atlapetes tibialis
• Tricoloured Brushfinch Atlapetes tricolor
• Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocorys
• Baird's Sparrow Centronyx bairdii
• Henslow's Sparrow Centronyx henslowii
• Ashy-throated Chlorospingus Chlorospingus canigularis
• Yellow-throated Chlorospingus Chlorospingus flavigularis
• Common Chlorospingus Chlorospingus flavopectus
• Pirre Chlorospingus Chlorospingus inornatus
• Short-billed Chlorospingus Chlorospingus parvirostris
• Sooty-capped Chlorospingus Chlorospingus pileatus
• Dusky Chlorospingus Chlorospingus semifuscus
• Tacarcuna Chlorospingus Chlorospingus tacarcunae
• Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
• Baird's Junco Junco bairdi
• Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
• Guadalupe Junco Junco insularis
• Yellow-eyed Junco Junco phaeonotus
• Volcano Junco Junco vulcani
• Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana
• Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
• Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
• Abert's Towhee Melozone aberti
• White-throated Towhee Melozone albicollis
• White-faced Ground-Sparrow Melozone biarcuata
• Cabanis's Ground-Sparrow Melozone cabanisi
• California Towhee Melozone crissalis
• Canyon Towhee Melozone fusca
• Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow Melozone kieneri
• White-eared Ground-Sparrow Melozone leucotis
• Tanager Finch Oreothraupis arremonops
• Striped Sparrow Oriturus superciliosus
• Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
• Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca
• Bachman's Sparrow Peucaea aestivalis
• Botteri's Sparrow Peucaea botterii
• Rufous-winged Sparrow Peucaea carpalis
• Cassin's Sparrow Peucaea cassinii
• Black-chested Sparrow Peucaea humeralis
• Bridled Sparrow Peucaea mystacalis
• Stripe-headed Sparrow Peucaea ruficauda
• Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow Peucaea sumichrasti
• Large-footed Finch Pezopetes capitalis
• Green-tailed Towhee Pipilo chlorurus
• Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus
• Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus
• Collared Towhee Pipilo ocai
• Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus
• Yungas Sparrow Rhynchospiza dabbenei
• Tumbes Sparrow Rhynchospiza stolzmanni
• Chaco Sparrow Rhynchospiza strigiceps
• Black-chinned Sparrow Spizella atrogularis
• Brewer's Sparrow Spizella breweri
• Clay-coloured Sparrow Spizella pallida
• Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
• Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla
• Worthen's Sparrow Spizella wortheni
• American Tree Sparrow Spizelloides arborea
• Zapata Sparrow Torreornis inexpectata
• Sierra Madre Sparrow Xenospiza baileyi
• White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
• Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla
• Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis
• White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
• Harris's Sparrow Zonotrichia querula

Lookalikes compared

• American Tree Sparrow vs Song Sparrow
• Baird's Sparrow vs Lincoln's Sparrow
• Botteri's Sparrow vs Cassin's Sparrow
• Brewer's Sparrow vs Lark Sparrow
• Costa Rican Brushfinch vs Sooty-faced Finch
• Golden-crowned Sparrow vs Sagebrush Sparrow
• Grasshopper Sparrow vs Chipping Sparrow
• Large-footed Finch vs Yellow-thighed Brushfinch
• Lark Bunting vs Fox Sparrow
• Lark Sparrow vs White-crowned Sparrow
• Nelson's Sparrow vs Spotted Towhee
• Nelson's Sparrow vs Swamp Sparrow
• Olive Sparrow vs Clay-coloured Sparrow
• Orange-billed Sparrow vs Chestnut-capped Brushfinch
• Rufous-winged Sparrow vs Worthen's Sparrow
• Seaside Sparrow vs Nelson's Sparrow
• Seaside Sparrow vs Savannah Sparrow
• Tocuyo Sparrow vs Perija Brushfinch
• Tricoloured Brushfinch vs Pale-naped Brushfinch
• Vesper Sparrow vs Nelson's Sparrow
• Volcano Junco vs White-naped Brushfinch
• White-crowned Sparrow vs Golden-crowned Sparrow
• White-faced Ground-Sparrow vs Rusty Sparrow
• White-throated Sparrow vs Savannah Sparrow