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SPARROWS OF WORLD

ARABIAN - GOLDEN SPARROW

The Arabian Golden Sparrow (Passer euchlorus) is found in south west Arabia and also the coast of Somalia and Djibouti where it occurs in thorn savanna and scrub habitats. It is often considered as a subspecies of the Sudan Golden Sparrow (Passer luteus).

CAPE SPARROW

The Cape Sparrow or Mossie (Passer melanurus) is brightly coloured and distinctive. It is coloured grey, brown, and chestnut, with some black and white markings on the male. It is found in southern Africa, where it inhabits savanna, cultivated areas, and towns.

CHESTNUT SPARROW

Chestnut Sparrow (Passer eminibey) is the smallest member of the genus Passer, and is about 11 cm (4.3 in) in length. It is found in arid areas. Ranging from the east of Africa from Darfur to Tanzania, it is found in dry savanna, papyrus swamps, and near human habitation.

DEAD SEA SPARROW

The Dead Sea Sparrow (Passer moabiticus) is a breeding bird found around the River Jordan, Dead Sea, and Iraq, Iran and western Afghanistan. It is migratory or dispersive, but the regular wintering grounds of this nomadic species are largely unknown, except that the eastern race winters in Pakistan. It is a small 12–13 cm long sparrow.

DESERT SPARROW

The Desert Sparrow (Passer simplex) is a species found in desert and sandy areas of northern and central Africa, with a distinct subspecies in areas of Iran and Russia sometimes called the Asian Desert Sparrow (Passer simplex zarudnyi).

GREAT SPARROW

The Great Sparrow, also known as the Southern Rufous Sparrow or the Rufous Sparrow (Passer motitensis) is found in southern Africa in dry, wooded savannah and towns. It is 15–16 cm long sparrow superficially like a large House Sparrow. It has a grey crown and rear neck and rufous upperparts. The taxonomy of this species and the other 'rufous sparrows' is confusing, with some authors considering this species to be the same as the Iago Sparrow, and some recognising only some of the rufous sparrows as separate from the Great Sparrow.

HOUSE SPARROW

The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia. This species has also been intentionally or accidentally introduced to many parts of the world, making it the most widely distributed wild bird. Although it is strongly associated with human habitations, it is not the only sparrow species found near houses. It is a small bird, with feathers mostly different shades of brown and grey. The House Sparrow is a very social bird and is gregarious at all seasons when feeding, often forming flocks with other types of bird. It roosts communally, its nests are usually grouped together in clumps, and it engages in a number of social activities, such as dust and water bathing, and “social singing“, in which birds call together in bushes.

Widespread resident, except in parts of northeast and North West sub-continent. Male has grey crown, black throat and upper breast, chestnut nape, and brownish mantle. Female has buffish supercilium and unstreaked greyish-white underparts. Breeds in Habitation; also cultivation in winter.

IAGO SPARROW

The Iago Sparrow (Passer iagoensis), is also known as the Cape Verde Sparrow and the Rufous-backed Sparrow. It is endemic to the Cape Verde Islands, in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is 12.5–13 cm (5 in) long, with a wing length of 5.5–6.9 cm.

ITALIAN SPARROW

The Italian Sparrow is a small chunky bird, with grey and brown plumage with the sexes differing in their plumage pattern, and slightly in length. The male has a head pattern like that of the Spanish Sparrow, with a chestnut crown, nape and sides of head, and white cheeks. It is about the same size as the House Sparrow at 14-16 cm (5½-6 in) in length and is found in northern and central Italy, Corsica, and small parts of France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. The Italian Sparrow's behaviour is similar to that of the House Sparrow. It is a social bird, which feeds mostly on seeds and insects.

KENYA SPARROW

The Kenya Sparrow, also known as the Kenya Rufous Sparrow (Passer rufocinctus), is found in Kenya and Tanzania.

NORTHERN GREY - HEADED SPARROW

The Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Grey-headed Sparrow, or Common Grey-headed Sparrow (Passer griseus), is a resident breeding species found in much of tropical Africa.

PARROT - BILLED SPARROW

The Parrot-billed Sparrow (Passer gongonensis), which is found in the arid lowlands of east central Africa, is often considered a type of Grey-headed Sparrow. It is largest of the Passeridae at 18 cm and 42 grams.

PLAIN-BACKED SPARROW

The Plain-backed Sparrow (Passer flaveolus), also known as the Pegu Sparrow or Olive-backed Sparrow, is found in the Asian countries of Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia.

RUSSET SPARROW

The Russet Sparrow (Passer rutilans), also known as the Cinnamonor Cinnamon Tree Sparrow, is a chunky little seed-eating bird with a thick bill. It has a body length of14–15 cm(5.5–5.9 in). Its pl umage is mainly warm rufous above and grey below and it shows sexual dimorphism, with both sexes having a pattern similar to that of the corresponding sex of House Sparrow.

It has a sweet and musical chirps, which when strung together form a song. The Russet Sparrow is described as shy and wary by some observers, although J. Denis Summers-Smith found it approachable in Indian hill stations.

SAXAUL SPARROW

The Saxaul Sparrow (Passer ammodendri) is found in parts of Central Asia. It is among the larger sparrows at 14-16 cm (5½–6¼ in) and 25-27 grams (0.88–0.95 oz).

SHELLYS SPARROW

Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi), also known as Shelley's Rufous Sparrow or the White Nile Rufous Sparrow, is found in Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya.

SIND SPARROW

The Sind Sparrow (Passer pyrrhonotus), also known as the Sind Jungle Sparrow, Jungle Sparrow, or Rufous-backed Sparrow, is distributed in patches around the Indus valley region of Pakistan and adjoining parts of India, where its habitat is usually tall grass and thorn scrub near water. Both sexes of the Sind Sparrow are very similar to the House Sparrow, but slightly smaller, with a number of unique features.

The Sind Sparrow is about 13 cm (5? in) long. It is gregarious, generally forming small groups of four to six birds while feeding and at breeding colonies. During winter, the non-breeding season, it forms larger flocks of as many as 30 birds, and joins flocks with other seed-eating birds. It mainly feeds on the seeds of grasses and other plants such as Polygonum plebeium.

SOCOTRA SPARROW

The Socotra Sparrow (Passer insularis) is endemic to the islands of Socotra, Samhah, and Darsah in the Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Africa.

SOMALI SPARROW

The Somali Sparrow (Passer castanopterus) is found in northern Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. Its one of the rarest and least photographed of the sparrow species found.

SOUTHERN GREY HEADED SPARROW

The southern grey-headed sparrow (Passer diffusus) is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the grey-headed sparrow. It is found in savanna and woodland in Angola and Zambia southwards into South Africa.

SPANNISH SPARROW

Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) is found in the Mediterranean region and southwest and central Asia. It is very similar to the House Sparrow, and the two species show their close association in a “biological mix-up“ of hybridisation in the Mediterranean region, which complicates the taxonomy of this species. The Sparrow Sparrow is about 15–16 cm (5.9–6.3 in) in length, and 22–36 g (0.8–1.3 oz) in weight. It is slightly larger and heavier than the House Sparrow, and also has a slightly longer and stouter bill.

The Spanish Sparrow is gregarious, flocking and breeding in groups. In the winter, it mostly wanders nomadically or makes regular migrations. Like other sparrows, it feeds principally on the seeds of grains and other grasses, also eating leaves, fruits, and other plant materials. Young birds feed mostly on insects, and adults also feed on insects and other animals during and before the breeding season.

SUDAN GOLDEN SPARROW

The Sudan Golden Sparrow (Passer luteus) is a smaller sparrow, which is 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in) in length, with a wingspan of 5.7–7 cm (2.2–2.8 in). It is confined to a narrow zone of arid country lying to the south of the Sahara from the Sahel in the West to the Red Sea coast in the east.

SWAHILI SPARROW

The Swahili Sparrow (Passer suahelicus) lives in the savanna of southern Kenya and Tanzania and until recently, it was usually treated as a subspecies of the Northern Grey-headed Sparrow (Passer griseus). It is found in savanna and woodland in Angola and Zambia down to South Africa.

SWAINSON SPARROW

Swainson's Sparrow (Passer swainsonii) is prevalent in the highlands of Ethiopia and Somalia and is often considered a race of Grey-headed Sparrow.

TREE SPARROW

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) has a rich chestnut crown and nape, and a black patch on each pure white cheek. The sexes are similarly plumaged, but the young birds are a duller version of the adult. This sparrow breeds over most of temperate Eurasia and Southeast Asia, where it is known as the Tree Sparrow, and it has been introduced elsewhere including in the United States, where it is known as the Eurasian Tree Sparrow or German Sparrow in an effort to differentiate it from the native unrelated American Tree Sparrow.

Although several subspecies are recognised, the appearance of this bird varies little across its extensive range. The Eurasian Tree Sparrow builds an untidy nest in a natural cavity, a hole in a building or the large nest of a magpie or stork. The typical clutch is five or six eggs that hatch in less than two weeks. This sparrow feeds mainly on seeds, but invertebrates are also consumed, particularly during the breeding season. The Eurasian Tree Sparrow appears widespread in the towns and cities of eastern Asia, but in Europe it is a bird of lightly wooded open countryside, with the House Sparrow breeding in the more urban areas.