Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but this species is described as 'fairly common' relative to other neotropical birds (Gunningham and Slager 2015).
Trend justification
The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats (Jaramillo 2019). There is tentative evidence to suggest that the Saffron-billed Sparrow flourishes in patchy and/or disturbed and logged forest as result of its preference for edge habitats and small clearings (Miranda et al. 2010, Gunningham and Slager 2015).
Arremon flavirostris is endemic to Brazil, occurring throughout central and eastern regions of the country (its extremities are: east Mato Grosso do Sul, east to South Goiás, Bahia, west Minas Gerais and north and central São Paulo) (Jaramillo 2019).
The Saffron-billed Sparrow typically occurs in tropical deciduous woodland, from sea-level up to 1400 m a.s.l., where although a forest species, it is typically found near edges, trails, clearings or tree-fall gaps (Jaramillo 2019). It further occurs alongside the edges of tropical lowland evergreen forests and galley forests along waterways where fire and other environmental conditions prevent the spread of vegetation away from the river banks (Gunningham and Slager 2015, Jaramillo 2019). The species also occurs in second-growth forests as well as more mature, primary forest (Gunningham and Slager 2015).
There is an absence of evidence of any substantial threats to the Saffron-billed Sparrow. Evidence suggests that the Saffron-billed Sparrow flourishes in patchy and/or disturbed and logged forest as result of its preference for edge habitats and small clearings (Miranda et al. 2010, Gunningham and Slager 2015).
15-16.5cm; 20-33g. Stocky, long-billed, short-tailed sparrow. Males have a black head, bold white supercilium from above eye back to nape side, black ear-coverts and a snow-white throat; nape and uppermost mantle grey, rest of upperparts, including wings and tail, green. Bend of wing yellow; white of throat separated from white underparts by narrow blackish pectoral line, flanks greyish; iris dark brown; bill orange-yellow to orange-red, black along culmen; legs pink to grey. Females similar, but slightly duller in coloration. Juveniles similar to adult, but duller all over (Jaramillo 2019).
Text account compilers
Everest, J., Butchart, S., Ekstrom, J.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Species factsheet: Saffron-billed Sparrow Arremon flavirostris. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/saffron-billed-sparrow-arremon-flavirostris on 15/01/2025.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2025) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 15/01/2025.