• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

Difference between revisions of "Kenya Sparrow" - BirdForum Opus

m
(→‎Taxonomy: Update link)
 
(2 intermediate revisions by one other user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
[[Image:8718rufous 3.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Nominate male<br />Photo by {{user|obasanmi|obasanmi}}<br>Naivasha, [[Kenya]], February 2006]]
 
[[Image:8718rufous 3.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Nominate male<br />Photo by {{user|obasanmi|obasanmi}}<br>Naivasha, [[Kenya]], February 2006]]
'''Alternative name: Kenya Sparrow'''
+
'''Alternative name: Kenya Rufous Sparrow'''
 
;[[: Category:Passer|Passer]] rufocinctus
 
;[[: Category:Passer|Passer]] rufocinctus
'''Includes: Shelley's Rufous Sparrow; Kordofan Rufous Sparrow'''
 
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
 
13 - 15cm.
 
13 - 15cm.
 
====Male====
 
====Male====
* Blue grey crown to upper mantle, ear-coverts and cheek (cheek white in ''cordofanicus'' and upper mantle chestnut)
+
* Blue grey crown to upper mantle, ear-coverts and cheek
 
* Black lores, chin and throat
 
* Black lores, chin and throat
* Broad chestnut band extending from above eye around rear of ear-coverts and on neck side forward, black line underneath in ''shelleyi'' and ''cordofanicus''
+
* Broad chestnut band extending from above eye around rear of ear-coverts and on neck side forward
 
* Rufous chestnut lower mantle to upertail-coverts, streaked black on mantle and uper back
 
* Rufous chestnut lower mantle to upertail-coverts, streaked black on mantle and uper back
 
* Blackish to dark brown upperwing
 
* Blackish to dark brown upperwing
* Broad white tips on median coverts (less broad in ''shelleyi'')
+
* Broad white tips on median coverts  
 
* Dark brown tail
 
* Dark brown tail
* Greyish underparts (whitish in ''cordofanicus'')
+
* Greyish underparts  
 
* Horn-coloured bill, blackish in breeding season
 
* Horn-coloured bill, blackish in breeding season
 
====Female====
 
====Female====
 
[[Image:Kenya_Rufous_Sparrow.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Nominate female<br />Photo by {{user|JWN+Andrewes|JWN Andrewes}}<br/>Nairobi, [[Kenya]], June 2006]]
 
[[Image:Kenya_Rufous_Sparrow.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Nominate female<br />Photo by {{user|JWN+Andrewes|JWN Andrewes}}<br/>Nairobi, [[Kenya]], June 2006]]
* Similar to male but much duller (less so in ''cordofanicus'')
+
* Similar to male but much duller  
 
* Dark grey bib
 
* Dark grey bib
 
* Chestnut replaced by buff
 
* Chestnut replaced by buff
Line 24: Line 23:
 
Smaller than [[Southern Rufous Sparrow]]. Note also paler eye, greyer face and more grey on neck and mantle (especially in nominate).
 
Smaller than [[Southern Rufous Sparrow]]. Note also paler eye, greyer face and more grey on neck and mantle (especially in nominate).
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
{| cellpadding="5"
+
Highlands of central [[Kenya]] south to northern [[Tanzania]].<br />
|-
 
| rowspan=2 valign="center"|
 
[[Image:Map-rufous sparrow.jpg|300px|left]]
 
|Found from southern [[Chad]] to [[Sudan]], [[Ethiopia]], northwest [[Somalia]], [[Uganda]], [[Kenya]] and [[Tanzania]].<br />
 
 
Common in most of its range.
 
Common in most of its range.
|-
 
|<font size=4>Legend</font><br />
 
'''<font color="#FF3333" style="background-color: black">•</font>''' ''P. r. rufocinctus''; year-round<br />
 
'''<font color="#FF6600" style="background-color: black">•</font>''' ''P. r. shelleyi''; year-round<br />
 
'''<font color="#CC3333" style="background-color: black">•</font>''' ''P. r. cordofanicus''; year-round<br />
 
<font size="1">Maps/Texts consulted<sup>[[#References|2]]</sup></font>
 
|}
 
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
Three subspecies accepted which are sometimes all accepted as full species.
+
This is a [[Dictionary_M-O#M|monotypic]] species.<br />
* ''P. r. rufocinctus'' in [[Kenya]] and [[Tanzania]]
+
It has been considered conspecific with [[Shelley's Sparrow]] and [[Kordofan Sparrow]] in the past.
* ''P. r. shelleyi'' in southeast [[Sudan]], northeast [[Uganda]], east [[Ethiopia]] and northwest [[Somalia]], sometimes split as '''Shelley's Rufous Sparrow''' or '''White Nile Rufous Sparrow'''
+
 
* ''P. r. cordofanicus'' from west-central [[Sudan]] to east [[Chad]], sometimes split as '''Kordofan Rufous Sparrow'''
 
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
Wooded savanna, arid country, cultivated land and in towns. ''Shelleyi'' does not penetrate into villages and associate with humans.
+
Wooded savanna, arid country, cultivated land and in towns.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
Feeds on grain, small seeds and domestic scrap (except ''shelleyi''). Nestlings are fed with insects.<br />
+
Feeds on grain, small seeds and domestic scrap. Nestlings are fed with insects.<br />
 
Feeds mainly on ground.<br />
 
Feeds mainly on ground.<br />
Nominate breeds all year, mainly April to June and November to December, coinciding with rains. ''Cordofanicus'' breeds from June to September in [[Chad]] and September to November in [[Sudan]], ''shelleyi'' breeds from September to November and March to June. ''Shelleyi'' breeds in loose colonies, the nominate solitary. The nest is a dome with a side entrance made of grasses and placed in a tree. Takes sometimes abandonend nests of weavers. Lays 3 - 6 eggs.
+
Breeds all year, mainly April to June and November to December, coinciding with rains. Breeds solitary. The nest is a dome with a side entrance made of grasses and placed in a tree. Takes sometimes abandonend nests of weavers. Lays 3 - 6 eggs.
 
==References==
 
==References==
#{{Ref-Clements6thDec09}}#{{Ref-HBWVol14}}
+
#{{Ref-Clements6thDec10}}#{{Ref-HBWVol14}}
 
{{ref}}
 
{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
 
{{GSearch|Passer+rufocinctus}}  
 
{{GSearch|Passer+rufocinctus}}  
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Passer]] [[Category: Maps]]
+
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Passer]]

Latest revision as of 22:41, 30 June 2014

Nominate male
Photo by obasanmi
Naivasha, Kenya, February 2006

Alternative name: Kenya Rufous Sparrow

Passer rufocinctus

Identification

13 - 15cm.

Male

  • Blue grey crown to upper mantle, ear-coverts and cheek
  • Black lores, chin and throat
  • Broad chestnut band extending from above eye around rear of ear-coverts and on neck side forward
  • Rufous chestnut lower mantle to upertail-coverts, streaked black on mantle and uper back
  • Blackish to dark brown upperwing
  • Broad white tips on median coverts
  • Dark brown tail
  • Greyish underparts
  • Horn-coloured bill, blackish in breeding season

Female

Nominate female
Photo by JWN Andrewes
Nairobi, Kenya, June 2006
  • Similar to male but much duller
  • Dark grey bib
  • Chestnut replaced by buff

Juveniles are similar to females but they look paler and washed-out.

Similar species

Smaller than Southern Rufous Sparrow. Note also paler eye, greyer face and more grey on neck and mantle (especially in nominate).

Distribution

Highlands of central Kenya south to northern Tanzania.
Common in most of its range.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.
It has been considered conspecific with Shelley's Sparrow and Kordofan Sparrow in the past.

Habitat

Wooded savanna, arid country, cultivated land and in towns.

Behaviour

Feeds on grain, small seeds and domestic scrap. Nestlings are fed with insects.
Feeds mainly on ground.
Breeds all year, mainly April to June and November to December, coinciding with rains. Breeds solitary. The nest is a dome with a side entrance made of grasses and placed in a tree. Takes sometimes abandonend nests of weavers. Lays 3 - 6 eggs.

References

  1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
  2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507

Recommended Citation

External Links

Back
Top