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'''Alternative name: Willow Sparrow''' | '''Alternative name: Willow Sparrow''' | ||
| + | [[Image:Spanish Sparrow1.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Male<br />Photo by {{user|scottishdude|scottishdude}}<br />[[Lesvos]], [[Greece]], April 2010 ]] | ||
;[[: Category:Passer|Passer]] hispaniolensis | ;[[: Category:Passer|Passer]] hispaniolensis | ||
==Identification== | ==Identification== | ||
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* Narrow white supercilium | * Narrow white supercilium | ||
* Black on mantle and shoulders | * Black on mantle and shoulders | ||
| − | [[Image:1082272 Spanish Sparrow copy.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Female<br />Photo by {{user|A.+Meir|A. Meir}}<br/>Eilat, [[Israel]], October 2008 ]] | + | [[Image:1082272 Spanish Sparrow copy.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Female<br />Photo by {{user|A.+Meir|A. Meir}}<br />Eilat, [[Israel]], October 2008 ]] |
====Female==== | ====Female==== | ||
* Almost identical to female [[House Sparrow]] and usually impossible to separate | * Almost identical to female [[House Sparrow]] and usually impossible to separate | ||
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''Italiae'' would breed in [[Italy]], southern [[Switzerland]], [[Corsica]], [[Sicily]] and [[Crete]].<br /> | ''Italiae'' would breed in [[Italy]], southern [[Switzerland]], [[Corsica]], [[Sicily]] and [[Crete]].<br /> | ||
Common to locally abundant. | Common to locally abundant. | ||
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| + | Resident in parts of its range, migratory or nomadic in others. | ||
==Taxonomy== | ==Taxonomy== | ||
| − | [[Image:33561PASSER DOMESTICUS ITALIAE 21.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Italian Sparrow: a subspecies of Spanish Sparrow, [[House Sparrow]] or a full species?<br />Photo by {{user|LECURU|LECURU}}<br/>Como, [[Italy]], June 2006 ]] | + | [[Image:33561PASSER DOMESTICUS ITALIAE 21.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Italian Sparrow: a subspecies of Spanish Sparrow, [[House Sparrow]] or a full species?<br />Photo by {{user|LECURU|LECURU}}<br />Como, [[Italy]], June 2006 ]] |
| − | Two subspecies recognized: | + | ====Subspecies==== |
| + | Two subspecies recognized<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>: | ||
* ''P. h. hispaniolensis'' on the [[Iberian Peninsula]], [[Sardinia]], [[Greece]] and [[Balkans]], western [[Turkey]], the [[Canary Islands]], [[Cape Verde]] Islands, [[Madeira]] and northwest [[Africa]] ([[Morocco]], [[Algeria]], [[Tunisia]], northeast [[Libya]]) | * ''P. h. hispaniolensis'' on the [[Iberian Peninsula]], [[Sardinia]], [[Greece]] and [[Balkans]], western [[Turkey]], the [[Canary Islands]], [[Cape Verde]] Islands, [[Madeira]] and northwest [[Africa]] ([[Morocco]], [[Algeria]], [[Tunisia]], northeast [[Libya]]) | ||
* ''P. h. transcaspicus'' in [[Cyprus]], eastern [[Turkey]] and the [[Middle East]] to [[Iran]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Kazakhstan]] and northwest [[China]] | * ''P. h. transcaspicus'' in [[Cyprus]], eastern [[Turkey]] and the [[Middle East]] to [[Iran]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Kazakhstan]] and northwest [[China]] | ||
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Often in moist, humid areas near water and with trees and shrub. Associated with cultivated land and extends into urban areas where House Sparrow is lacking (eg. [[Canary Islands]] or [[Malta]]). | Often in moist, humid areas near water and with trees and shrub. Associated with cultivated land and extends into urban areas where House Sparrow is lacking (eg. [[Canary Islands]] or [[Malta]]). | ||
==Behaviour== | ==Behaviour== | ||
| − | |||
Usually seen in flocks which may be very large.<br /> | Usually seen in flocks which may be very large.<br /> | ||
| + | ====Diet==== | ||
| + | Feeds on seeds of grasses, cultivated crops ans low herbs. Takes also invertebrates. Nestlings are fed with insects. | ||
| + | ====Breeding==== | ||
Breeding season from April to August in the western parts of its range. A colonial breeder, sometimes with several thousand pairs. The nest is a loosely woven spherical structure made of grass and placed in a tree or in lower part of a large nest of a bird of prey, crow, heron or [[White Stork]]. Lays 2 - 6 eggs which are incubated for 12 days. The chicks fledge about 14 days old.<br /> | Breeding season from April to August in the western parts of its range. A colonial breeder, sometimes with several thousand pairs. The nest is a loosely woven spherical structure made of grass and placed in a tree or in lower part of a large nest of a bird of prey, crow, heron or [[White Stork]]. Lays 2 - 6 eggs which are incubated for 12 days. The chicks fledge about 14 days old.<br /> | ||
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====Vocalisation==== | ====Vocalisation==== | ||
<flashmp3>Passer hispaniolensis (song).mp3</flashmp3><br /> | <flashmp3>Passer hispaniolensis (song).mp3</flashmp3><br /> | ||
''[[Media:Passer hispaniolensis (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]'' | ''[[Media:Passer hispaniolensis (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]'' | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| − | #{{Ref- | + | #{{Ref-Clements6thAug11}}#{{Ref-HBWVol14}}#{{Ref-RasmussenAnderton05}} |
{{ref}} | {{ref}} | ||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
Revision as of 22:46, 11 January 2012
Alternative name: Willow Sparrow
- Passer hispaniolensis
Identification
15 - 16cm
Male
- Bright chestnut crown
- Broad black bib meeting bold plack pattern on underside and black shoulders
- Whitish cheeks
- Narrow white supercilium
- Black on mantle and shoulders
Female
- Almost identical to female House Sparrow and usually impossible to separate
- Slightly bigger bill, paler belly and sometimes hint of grey streaking on whiter underparts
Juveniles are similar to females but duller.
Italiae (Italian Sparrow) is sometimes considered conspecific with this species. It has the same head pattern but less heavy black streaks on mantle and black only on upper breast.
Distribution
Breeds in western Spain, Portugal, Sardinia (Italy), northern Africa, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Madeira, Balkans, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel and east to Iran, south Kazakhstan and northwest China.
Winters to the Arabian Peninsula and northwest India and Pakistan.
Italiae would breed in Italy, southern Switzerland, Corsica, Sicily and Crete.
Common to locally abundant.
Resident in parts of its range, migratory or nomadic in others.
Taxonomy
Italian Sparrow: a subspecies of Spanish Sparrow, House Sparrow or a full species?
Photo by LECURU
Como, Italy, June 2006
Photo by LECURU
Como, Italy, June 2006
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognized[1]:
- P. h. hispaniolensis on the Iberian Peninsula, Sardinia, Greece and Balkans, western Turkey, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Madeira and northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, northeast Libya)
- P. h. transcaspicus in Cyprus, eastern Turkey and the Middle East to Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and northwest China
The Italian Sparrow is sometimes regarded as subspecies of this species.
Forms a superspecies with House Sparrow and Italian Sparrow.
Habitat
Often in moist, humid areas near water and with trees and shrub. Associated with cultivated land and extends into urban areas where House Sparrow is lacking (eg. Canary Islands or Malta).
Behaviour
Usually seen in flocks which may be very large.
Diet
Feeds on seeds of grasses, cultivated crops ans low herbs. Takes also invertebrates. Nestlings are fed with insects.
Breeding
Breeding season from April to August in the western parts of its range. A colonial breeder, sometimes with several thousand pairs. The nest is a loosely woven spherical structure made of grass and placed in a tree or in lower part of a large nest of a bird of prey, crow, heron or White Stork. Lays 2 - 6 eggs which are incubated for 12 days. The chicks fledge about 14 days old.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Passer hispaniolensis (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- 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
- Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Spanish Sparrow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Spanish_Sparrow
External Links
