Order: Passeriformes (Oscines) - Family: Emberizidae
Habitat: Woods, bushland, grassland and embankments

Due to its wide distribution and sighting probability it must be one of the most successful and easily recognized birds. How many times we must have found ourselves saying: "Oops! It was a Rufous-collared Sparrow". It is tame, active and always present. It may be seen going round trees or foraging on the ground. In winter it joins mixed flocks together with the Masked Gnatcatcher, the Golden-crowned Warbler, the Black-capped Warbling-Finch, the House Sparrow, the White-crested Tyrannulet, the Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch and some other passerines. There is little material about the reproduction of this sparrow at Costanera. There are no photos of nests nor of the incubating period. Nevertheless, two records clearly show that it nests here. A fledgeling being fed by an adult and an adult which was parasitized by a Shiny Cowbird. The Rufous-collared Sparrow of this photo is a typical sparrow to us: black stripes on a gray head, rufous collar and a slight crest. But in Argentina there are between six and nine species according to the authors. Differences lie in the width of the stripes, the gray colouring of the head, the size and colour of the collar, the dorsal striations, etc. Perhaps the most striking subspecies is that of the south which has no black stripes on its head. Foto © Pablo Mosto - Text: Cora Rimoldi

Sounds
© Diego Caiafa	© Diego Caiafa	© Dolores Fernández

© Cora Rimoldi

Adult
© Carlos González Ledo Grey head with crest. Black stripes on crown. © Carlos González Ledo White throat. Black and rufous half-collar © J. Simón Tagtachian Upperparts brown with blackish streaking. Rufous nape © José Alberto Lell Greyish to whitish underparts

Breeding
© J. Simón Tagtachian Cup-like nest. It builds the nest out of vegetal material on the ground

Chick and young
© Roberto Ares	© Roberto Ares
© Sergio Cusano	© Sergio Cusano
© Sergio Cusano	© Roberto Ares
© Marcelo Castro	© Hugo Hulsberg
© Carlos González Ledo	© Carlos González Ledo
© Diego carús	© Sergio Cusano

© Marcelo Castro Juan Klavins provided this valuable piece of information: "It certainly was born 4-5 weeks ago. This plumage lasts a short time. It soon changes into the first basic plumage (preformative), which is as it looks before the breeding period both in one- or two-year olds".

Parasitism
1 05 © Hugo Hulsberg Parasitized by Shiny cowbird Molothrus bonariensis

Diet
Solo o en pequeños grupos come del suelo como posado en plantas. Se alimenta de semillas, frutos,
© Sergio Cusano Fruto de lantana Lantana camara	© Sergio Cusano Fruto de ombú Phytolocca dioica
© Sergio Cusano	© Sergio Cusano Simíl a una harina
© Sergio Cusano Cortadera Cortaderia selloana

More photographic records since January 2013