White-eared Ground-Sparrow

How to find it

Go near dawn or dusk, when this shy sparrow is easiest to find. Coffee farms are a good place to look, since pairs forage on the ground along forest edges, riverside forest and coffee plantations, whether sun-grown or shade-grown. Scan dark thickets for the springy hop and the slowly lowered tail. It often stays low and deep in the understory, so expect to look into thick low vegetation rather than up in trees. Listen for the thin 'tsip' call. A resident birder near Turrialba calls it fairly common in its small Costa Rican range and has even seen it in his garden.

How to recognise it

Start with the head, which is mostly black with white spots:

- white lores

- a broken white eye ring

- a big white ear patch

The neck sides are bright yellow. The body is dark gray, with a blackish throat and chest, and the bill is black. The small white spots in front of each eye give the Costa Rican nickname "cuatro ojos".

It is a fairly large sparrow, about 17.5 cm long and about 43 g (a figure for the species in general). Pairs often lift the tail slightly and then lower it slowly, a habit worth watching for when you scan dark thickets.

Behaviour and diet

This is a ground bird. It hops along, picking through leaf litter and low brush for bugs and spiders, with some fallen berries, fruits and seeds. It is usually seen in pairs.

The hop is springy, and birds often lift the tail slightly and lower it slowly. It is shy and best seen near dawn or dusk.

Where it lives

In Costa Rica it uses humid forest, edges, coffee farms and shaded areas, on the Pacific side from the Tilarán range to the Central Valley. The Costa Rican form ranges from Monteverde south through the Central Valley and the Turrialba Valley, and it is also described as occurring at mid elevations on both the Pacific and Caribbean slopes.

Across its whole range it lives at about 500 to 2,000 m, in undergrowth and thickets of ravines, forest edges, second growth and large gardens.

When to see it

A tour reports seeing it on the first afternoon and final morning of a March trip near the Central Valley. A visitor photographed one at Monteverde on a July morning at 7:52.

Similar birds

Cabanis's Ground-Sparrow is the close lookalike, and the two are often found together. On one pre-breakfast walk near the Central Valley, a pair of Cabanis's fed alongside a couple of White-eared. The call helps: Cabanis's gives a sharp tick note, while White-eared gives a thin 'tsip'. One local birder finds Cabanis's commoner at around 1,200 m, with White-eared more frequent higher up, and on the road toward Tapantí he found only White-eared. Across its range it tends to use slightly wetter areas than the White-faced Ground-Sparrow.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

Costa Ricans call it "cuatro ojos" (four eyes), "payasito" (little clown) and by the official name Pinzón Orejiblanco. Another name in use is toquí orejiblanco. Spanish sources elsewhere also call it rascadorcito orejiblanco, and "cuatrojos" comes from the small white spots in front of each eye.

Status and conservation

A resident (R) on the AOCR list, common within its range, though some populations are threatened, and BirdLife International rates it Least Concern.

Photography tips

White-eared Ground-Sparrows often stay low and deep in the understory, so look into thick low vegetation rather than up in trees. Dawn and dusk are the best light and the best times for a shy bird. Watch for the slowly lowered tail to pick one out in a dark thicket.