Arremon flavirostris Swainson, 1838

Buainain, Nelson, Brito, Guilherme Renzo Rocha, Firme, Daniel Honorato, Figueira, Daniel Monteiro, Raposo, Marcos A. & Assis, Claydson Pinto De, 2016, Taxonomic revision of Saffron-billed Sparrow Arremon flavirostris Swainson, 1838 (Aves: Passerellidae) with comments on its holotype and type locality, Zootaxa 4178 (4), pp. 547-567 : 561

Arremon flavirostris Swainson, 1838

Arremon affinis Burmeister, 1856 : pp. 223 ( Hellmayr 1938: pp. 429)

Arremon wuchereri P. L. Sclater & Salvin, 1873 : pp. 25, 157 ( Ihering 1902: p. 265)

Holotype. CUMZ 27 / Fri (E)/6/c/1 ( University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, UK), sub-adult male.

Type locality. vicinity of Salvador, Bahia state, Brazil (subsequent designation). “ Brazil ” (original designation).

Plumage diagnosis. It differs from A. dorbignii in having short white superciliary stripes starting above the eye, instead of right after the bill; Sepia (Color 119 in Smithe 1975) rectrices with more extensive Yellowish Olive- Green (50) on webs; Medium Neutral Gray (84) crown stripe absent or restricted to a few feathers between the nape and bill in adults. It differs from A. polionotus by having Yellowish Olive-Green (50) dorsal regions (including scapular and tail-coverts) instead of Plumbeous Gray (78); presence of Yellowish Olive-Green (50) on rectrices instead of plain Sepia (119).

Measurements. (n: m = 8 / f = 3). Mean values in mm, male (m), female (f). Bill length = 17.37 (m), 17.34 (f); Bill width = 7.40 (m), 7.29 (f); Bill height = 7.67 (m), 7.98 (f); Wing length = 77.43 (m), 73.09 (f); Tail length = 68.10 (m), 61.37 (f).

Description. Conical bill; mandible Orange-Yellow (18); maxilla Orange-Yellow (18) with black ridge starting at base of the bill at level of nares, becoming thinner as it reaches the tip; black head and auriculars; Medium Neutral Gray (84) crown stripe usually absent or restricted to a few feathers between the nape and bill; bold white superciliary stripes starting above the eye and reaching to sides of nape; nape Medium Neutral Gray (84), rest of dorsal regions including scapulars, wing- and tail-coverts Yellowish Olive-Green (50); edge of marginal wing coverts Spectrum Yellow (55); remiges and rectrices Sepia (119) with Yellowish Olive-Green (50) on webs from border nearly to the rachis, especially on the inner primaries and the secondaries, and closer to base on rectrices; white ventral regions contrasting with black pectoral band; Light Neutral Gray (85) sides and flanks; thighs white with Glaucous (79).

Sexual dimorphism. Females have plumage generally tinged Buff (24) (except black parts), more visible on ventral regions, but also slightly on superciliary and crown stripes, the latter being more evident than in adult males. On ventral regions, brownish tinge produces different tones between Greenish Olive (49), Olive-Green (Auxiliary) (48) and Olive (30).

Immatures. No immature specimens analyzed. General plumage tinged buff, slightly greenish wings, gray auriculars, striated chest and totally black bill ( Lopes et al. 2013). Greenish crown stripe, white superciliary stripe above the eye, dark olive-green back and wing coverts, white ventral regions, black pectoral band ( Burmeister 1856). Younger specimens have duller plumage and dusky pectoral band ( Burmeister 1856).

Distribution. Interior of central-eastern Brazil. Eastern Goiás, Minas Gerais and north and eastern São Paulo and extreme adjacent parts of eastern Mato Grosso do Sul state.