Olive Sparrow
Olive Sparrow has surged: up 903% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Olive Sparrow
The Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus) is a North American member of the New World Sparrows (Passerellidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–7.5 in long (12–19 cm) — a small songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 46 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 1 state, most concentrated in the Tamaulipan Brushlands.
- Family
- Passerellidae · Forest birds
Notable Olive Sparrow Trends
No notable trend signals for Olive Sparrow. See the full index history below.
Olive Sparrow Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Olive Sparrow is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.13 (95% range 0.08–0.18). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±20.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.12 | 0.07 | 0.17 |
| 2026 | 0.13 | 0.08 | 0.17 |
| 2027 | 0.13 | 0.08 | 0.17 |
| 2028 | 0.13 | 0.08 | 0.18 |
| 2029 | 0.13 | 0.08 | 0.18 |
Where the Olive Sparrow Is Detected
BBS routes recording Olive Sparrow, sized by most recent count.
Olive Sparrow Population Trend by State
| Texas | +683% | 1969 | 46 |
Olive Sparrow Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Edwards Plateau | +141% | 1998 | 4 |
| Oaks and Prairies | 13× | 1984 | 5 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | +725% | 1969 | 28 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | 11× | 1971 | 8 |
Olive Sparrow Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 903% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.