- Passer gongonensis
Identification
18cm. The largest of the African Grey-headed Sparrows:
- Distinctive heavy arched bill
- Mid-grey head, neck and upperparts
- Brown upperparts, wings and tail
- Bright chestnut rump
- Conspicious white patch formed by white tips of median-coverts
Sexes similar. Juveniles are browner and they lack the white wing-patch.
Similar Species
Larger than Grey-headed Sparrow, Swahili Sparrow and Swainson's Sparrow, generally darker and with a normally more extensive white wing-bar.
Distribution
Occurs in east central Africa in extreme southeast Sudan, south Somalia, extreme eastern Uganda, most of Kenya and extreme northeastern Tanzania.
Common in most of its range.
Taxonomy
Monotypic.
Forms a superspecies with Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Swainson's Sparrow, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow and Swahili Sparrow. All are often treated as conspecific.
Habitat
Open country and bush. In more arid country than other members of the superspecies.
Behaviour
Feeds mainly on seeds. Nestlings are probably fed with insects.
Forages in pairs or small groups, rarely in larger flocks.
Breeding throughout the year, coinciding with rains. The nest is an untidy dome with a side entrance, made of dry grass. It's placed in a tree, sometimes in a tree hole. May also take old nests of other species. Lays 2 eggs in Kenya, 4 - 5 in a study in Somalia.
No information about movements.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- 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
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Parrot-billed Sparrow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Parrot-billed_Sparrow
