Passerellidae

Passerellidae, the New World sparrows, is a family of passerine birds comprising 140 species in 30 genera as recognized by the International Ornithological Congress. They are seed-eating birds with conical bills, generally brown or grey, many with distinctive head markings, and despite sharing the common name sparrow with the unrelated Old World sparrows, they are more closely related to the Old World buntings and resemble finches in both appearance and behavior. The family ranges across the entire Americas, from Arctic tundra breeding grounds in the north to year-round populations in South Americas Southern Cone, occupying grassland, rainforest, temperate forest and arid shrubland habitats. Many northern species migrate south for the winter, though some populations, such as the dark-eyed junco, remain resident year-round in parts of North America, and the birds typically gather in small to medium flocks in both the breeding and non-breeding seasons.