LC
White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2021 Least Concern
2018 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status Land-mass type Forest dependency Average mass
full migrant low 24 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 8,040,000 km2 medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 10,300,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 160000000 mature individuals poor estimated 2019
Population trend decreasing - estimated -
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 19% - - -
Generation length 2.81 years - - -

Population justification: The global population is estimated to number 160 million mature individuals (Partners in Flight 2019).

Trend justification: The species has been undergoing a moderate decline at an average rate of 1% per year between 1970 and 2017 (Partners in Flight 2019). Short-term trends suggest that since 2010, the population has declined by 19% (Pardieck et al. 2018).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Anguilla (to UK) extant vagrant
Aruba (to Netherlands) extant vagrant
Belize extant vagrant
Bermuda (to UK) extant vagrant
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) extant vagrant
Canada extant native yes yes yes yes
Curaçao (to Netherlands) extant vagrant
Denmark extant vagrant
Gibraltar (to UK) extant vagrant
Iceland extant vagrant
Mexico extant native yes
Norway extant vagrant
Portugal extant vagrant
Puerto Rico (to USA) extant vagrant
Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) extant vagrant
St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) extant native yes
United Kingdom extant vagrant
USA extant native yes yes yes yes
Virgin Islands (to UK) extant vagrant

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Rural Gardens suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Urban Areas suitable non-breeding
Forest Temperate suitable breeding
Shrubland Boreal suitable breeding
Shrubland Temperate suitable breeding
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits  

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture international

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Species factsheet: White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/white-throated-sparrow-zonotrichia-albicollis on 03/02/2025.
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 03/02/2025.