The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) recognizes these 141 species in the New World sparrow family Passerellidae, distributed among 30 genera in the following sequence. One extinct species, the Bermuda towhee (†), is included. Confusingly, only 70 of the 141 include "sparrow" in their name. Forty-four are called brushfinches and the remaining 27 have a variety of other names. The North American and South American classification committees of the American Ornithological Society (AOS) and the Clements taxonomy recognize fewer species, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World recognizes more, and all three also use some different common names.Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A. W. Kratter, N. A. Mason, P. C. Rasmussen, and J. V. Remsen, Jr. 2024. Check-list of North American Birds (online). American Ornithological Society. https://checklist.americanornithology.org/taxa/ retrieved August 22, 2024Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 30 January 2025. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved 31 January 2025Clements, J. F., P.C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, M. Smith, and C. L. Wood. 2024. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2024. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved October 23, 2024HBW and BirdLife International (2024). Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 9. Available at: https://datazone.birdlife.org/about-our-science/taxonomy retrieved December 23, 2024
This list is presented according to the IOC taxonomic sequence and can also be sorted alphabetically by common name and binomial.
ImageCommon nameBinomial name + authorityIOC sequence Tanager finchOreothraupis arremonops (Sclater, PL, 1855)1 Yellow-throated chlorospingusChlorospingus flavigularis (Sclater, PL, 1852)2 Yellow-whiskered chlorospingusChlorospingus parvirostris Chapman, 19013 Ashy-throated chlorospingusChlorospingus canigularis (Lafresnaye, 1848)4 Sooty-capped chlorospingusChlorospingus pileatus Salvin, 18655 Common chlorospingusChlorospingus flavopectus (Lafresnaye, 1840)6 Tacarcuna chlorospingusChlorospingus tacarcunae Griscom, 19247 Pirre chlorospingusChlorospingus inornatus (Nelson, 1912)8 Dusky chlorospingusChlorospingus semifuscus Sclater, PL & Salvin, 18739 Tumbes sparrowRhynchospiza stolzmanni (Taczanowski, 1877)10 Yungas sparrowRhynchospiza dabbenei (Hellmayr, 1912)11 Chaco sparrowRhynchospiza strigiceps (Gould, 1839)12 Rufous-winged sparrowPeucaea carpalis Coues, 187313 Cinnamon-tailed sparrowPeucaea sumichrasti (Lawrence, 1871)14 Stripe-headed sparrowPeucaea ruficauda (Bonaparte, 1853)15 Black-chested sparrowPeucaea humeralis (Cabanis, 1851)16 Bridled sparrowPeucaea mystacalis (Hartlaub, 1852)17 Botteri's sparrowPeucaea botterii (Sclater, PL, 1858)18 Cassin's sparrowPeucaea cassinii (Woodhouse, 1852)19 Bachman's sparrowPeucaea aestivalis (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823)20 Grasshopper sparrowAmmodramus savannarum (Gmelin, JF, 1789)21 Grassland sparrowAmmodramus humeralis (Bosc, 1792)22 Yellow-browed sparrowAmmodramus aurifrons (Spix, 1825)23 Olive sparrowArremonops rufivirgatus (Lawrence, 1851)24 Green-backed sparrowArremonops chloronotus (Salvin, 1861)25 Black-striped sparrowArremonops conirostris (Bonaparte, 1850)26 Tocuyo sparrowArremonops tocuyensis Todd, 191227 Five-striped sparrowAmphispizopsis quinquestriata (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1868)28 Black-throated sparrowAmphispiza bilineata (Cassin, 1850)29 Lark sparrowChondestes grammacus (Say, 1822)30 Lark buntingCalamospiza melanocorys Stejneger, 188531 Chipping sparrowSpizella passerina (Bechstein, 1798)32Clay-colored sparrowSpizella pallida (Swainson, 1832)33Black-chinned sparrowSpizella atrogularis (Cabanis, 1851)34Field sparrowSpizella pusilla (Wilson, A, 1810)35 Brewer's sparrowSpizella breweri Cassin, 185636Worthen's sparrowSpizella wortheni Ridgway, 188437Sierra Nevada brushfinchArremon basilicus (Bangs, 1898)38Perija brushfinchArremon perijanus (Phelps, WH & Gilliard, 1940)39Costa Rican brushfinchArremon costaricensis (Bangs, 1907)40 Black-headed brushfinchArremon atricapillus (Lawrence, 1874)41 Caracas brushfinchArremon phaeopleurus (Sclater, PL, 1856)42 Paria brushfinchArremon phygas (Berlepsch, 1912)43 Grey-browed brushfinchArremon assimilis (Boissonneau, 1840)44 White-browed brushfinchArremon torquatus (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837)45 Orange-billed sparrowArremon aurantiirostris Lafresnaye, 184746Black-capped sparrowArremon abeillei Lesson, RP, 184447 Maranon sparrowArremon nigriceps Taczanowski, 188048 Golden-winged sparrowArremon schlegeli Bonaparte, 185049 Yellow-mandibled sparrowArremon axillaris Sclater, PL, 185450Pectoral sparrowArremon taciturnus (Hermann, 1783)51 Sao Francisco sparrowArremon franciscanus Raposo, M, 199752 Half-collared sparrowArremon semitorquatus Swainson, 183853 Moss-backed sparrowArremon dorbignii Sclater, PL, 185654 Saffron-billed sparrowArremon flavirostris Swainson, 183855 Green-striped brushfinchArremon virenticeps (Bonaparte, 1855)56 Chestnut-capped brushfinchArremon brunneinucha (Lafresnaye, 1839)57 Sooty-faced finchArremon crassirostris (Cassin, 1865)58 Olive finchArremon castaneiceps (Sclater, PL, 1860)59 Sooty fox sparrowPasserella unalaschcensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789)60 Slate-colored fox sparrowPasserella schistacea Baird, SF, 185861 Thick-billed fox sparrowPasserella megarhyncha Baird, SF, 185862 Red fox sparrowPasserella iliaca (Merrem, 1786)63 American tree sparrowSpizelloides arborea (Wilson, A, 1810)64 Volcano juncoJunco vulcani (Boucard, 1878)65 Guadalupe juncoJunco insularis Ridgway, 187666 Dark-eyed juncoJunco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758)67 Yellow-eyed juncoJunco phaeonotus Wagler, 183168 Baird's juncoJunco bairdi Ridgway, 188369 Rufous-collared sparrowZonotrichia capensis (Müller, PLS, 1776)70 White-crowned sparrowZonotrichia leucophrys (Forster, JR, 1772)71 Golden-crowned sparrowZonotrichia atricapilla (Gmelin, JF, 1789)72 Harris's sparrowZonotrichia querula (Nuttall, 1840)73 White-throated sparrowZonotrichia albicollis (Gmelin, JF, 1789)74 Sagebrush sparrowArtemisiospiza nevadensis (Ridgway, 1874)75 Bell's sparrowArtemisiospiza belli (Cassin, 1850)76 Striped sparrowOriturus superciliosus (Swainson, 1838)77 Vesper sparrowPooecetes gramineus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)78 LeConte's sparrowAmmospiza leconteii (Audubon, 1844)79 Seaside sparrowAmmospiza maritima (Wilson, A, 1811)80 Nelson's sparrowAmmospiza nelsoni (Allen, JA, 1875)81 Saltmarsh sparrowAmmospiza caudacuta (Gmelin, JF, 1788)82 Baird's sparrowCentronyx bairdii (Audubon, 1844)83 Henslow's sparrowCentronyx henslowii (Audubon, 1829)84 Savannah sparrowPasserculus sandwichensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789)85 Sierra Madre sparrowXenospiza baileyi Bangs, 193186 Song sparrowMelospiza melodia (Wilson, A, 1810)87 Lincoln's sparrowMelospiza lincolnii (Audubon, 1834)88 Swamp sparrowMelospiza georgiana (Latham, 1790)89 Large-footed finchPezopetes capitalis Cabanis, 186190 Zapata sparrowTorreornis inexpectata Barbour & Peters, JL, 192791 Rusty-crowned ground sparrowMelozone kieneri (Bonaparte, 1850)92 Canyon towhee† Melozone fusca (Swainson, 1827)93 White-throated towheeMelozone albicollis (Sclater, PL, 1858)94 Abert's towheeMelozone aberti (Baird, SF, 1852)95 California towheeMelozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839)96 White-eared ground sparrowMelozone leucotis Cabanis, 186197 Prevost's ground sparrowMelozone biarcuata (Prévost & des Murs, 1842)98 Cabanis's ground sparrowMelozone cabanisi (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1868)99 Rusty sparrowAimophila rufescens (Swainson, 1827)100 Rufous-crowned sparrowAimophila ruficeps (Cassin, 1852)101 Oaxaca sparrowAimophila notosticta (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1868)102 Green-tailed towheePipilo chlorurus (Audubon, 1839)103 Spotted towheePipilo maculatus Swainson, 1827104 Eastern towheePipilo erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus, 1758)105 Bermuda towheePipilo naufragus Olson & Wingate, 2012106 Collared towheePipilo ocai (Lawrence, 1865)107 Rufous-capped brushfinchAtlapetes pileatus Wagler, 1831108 White-naped brushfinchAtlapetes albinucha (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1838)109 Yellow-thighed brushfinchAtlapetes tibialis (Lawrence, 1864)110 Yellow-green brushfinchAtlapetes luteoviridis (Griscom, 1924)111 Moustached brushfinchAtlapetes albofrenatus (Boissonneau, 1840)112 Merida brushfinchAtlapetes meridae (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1871)113 Tepui brushfinchAtlapetes personatus (Cabanis, 1849)114 Santa Marta brushfinchAtlapetes melanocephalus (Salvin & Godman, 1880)115 Ochre-breasted brushfinchAtlapetes semirufus (Boissonneau, 1840)116 Yellow-headed brushfinchAtlapetes flaviceps Chapman, 1912117 Dusky-headed brushfinchAtlapetes fuscoolivaceus Chapman, 1914118 White-rimmed brushfinchAtlapetes leucopis (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1878)119 White-headed brushfinchAtlapetes albiceps (Taczanowski, 1884)120 Rufous-eared brushfinchAtlapetes rufigenis (Salvin, 1895)121 Choco brushfinchAtlapetes crassus Bangs, 1908122 Tricolored brushfinchAtlapetes tricolor (Taczanowski, 1875)123 Slaty brushfinchAtlapetes schistaceus (Boissonneau, 1840)124 Taczanowksi's brushfinchAtlapetes taczanowksii (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1875)125 Pale-naped brushfinchAtlapetes pallidinucha (Boissonneau, 1840)126 Antioquia brushfinchAtlapetes blancae Donegan, 2007127 Yellow-breasted brushfinchAtlapetes latinuchus (Du Bus de Gisignies, 1855)128 Black-fronted brushfinchAtlapetes nigrifrons Phelps, WH & Gilliard, 1940129 White-winged brushfinchAtlapetes leucopterus (Jardine, 1856)130 Pale-headed brushfinchAtlapetes pallidiceps (Sharpe, 1900)131 Bay-crowned brushfinchAtlapetes seebohmi (Taczanowski, 1883)132 Rusty-bellied brushfinchAtlapetes nationi (Sclater, PL, 1881)133 Apurimac brushfinchAtlapetes forbesi Morrison, 1947134 Black-spectacled brushfinchAtlapetes melanopsis Valqui & Fjeldså, 2002135 Vilcabamba brushfinchAtlapetes terborghi Remsen, 1993136 Cuzco brushfinchAtlapetes canigenis Chapman, 1919137 Grey-eared brushfinchAtlapetes melanolaemus (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1879)138 Bolivian brushfinchAtlapetes rufinucha (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837)139 Fulvous-headed brushfinchAtlapetes fulviceps (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837)140 Yellow-striped brushfinchAtlapetes citrinellus (Cabanis, 1883)141
References