Botteri's sparrow

Botteri's sparrow
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Emberizidae
Genus: Peucaea
Species: P. botterii
Binomial name
Peucaea botterii
(Sclater, 1858)
Subspecies
  • Peucaea botterii arizonae
  • Peucaea botterii botterii
  • Peucaea botterii goldmani
  • Peucaea botterii mexicana
  • Peucaea botterii petenica
  • Peucaea botterii spadiconigrescens
  • Peucaea botterii texana
  • Peucaea botterii vantynei
  • Peucaea botterii vulcanica
Synonyms[2]

Aimophila botterii

The Botteri's sparrow (Peucaea botterii) is a medium-sized sparrow.

This passerine bird is primarily found in Mexico, with a breeding range that extends into the southeastern tip of the U.S. state of Arizona, and a small non-migratory population in the Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas, which is threatened by loss of habitat.

It was not found in Arizona between the 1890s and the mid-20th century due to excessive grazing of livestock; now it is locally common in its Arizona range due to recovery of vegetation. Juvenile birds apparently need dense vegetation to hide in during fledging; the uncommon native sacaton grass Sporobolus wrightii is preferred, but stands of introduced non-native Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana) and Boer lovegrass (E. curvula var. conferta) are also successfully utilized, though at lower population densities.[3]

The name of this species commemorates the ornithologist Matteo Botteri (1808–1877).

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Peucaea botterii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Peucaea botterii". Avibase.
  3. ↑ Jones, Zach F. & Bock, Carl E. (2005): The Botteri's sparrow and exotic Arizona grasslands: an ecological trap or habitat regained? Condor 107(4): 731–741. [Article in English with Spanish abstract] doi:10.1650/7741.1 (HTML abstract)

Further reading

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