Grey-headed Sparrow
Encyclopedia
The Northern Grey-headed Sparrow (Passer griseus), also known as the Grey-headed Sparrow or Common Grey-headed Sparrow, is a resident breeding bird species in much of tropical Africa. It occurs in a wide range of open habitats, including open woodlands and human habitation, often occupying the same niche
as the House Sparrow
.
The adult Northern Grey-headed Sparrow has a pale grey head with a white moustache stripe, pale brown upperparts, whitish underparts and chestnut wings with a small white shoulder patch. The sexes are similar, but young birds are slightly duller and lack the white wing patch.
There are three subspecies, differing in plumage tone, especially with regard to the darkness of the head.
This sparrow
is mainly resident in its range, but there is some seasonal movement, and flocks of up to 50 birds form outside the breeding season.
It builds a cup nest in trees, thatch, or old nests of other birds; 2–4 eggs are laid.
This species feeds principally on seeds and grain, like other sparrows, but will readily take insects including termite
s, especially when feeding young.
The calls include cheeps and chirps, and the typical sparrow churring alarm call.
The Northern Grey-headed Sparrow is replaced in eastern and southern Africa by very similar birds that are sometimes considered races of this species: Swainson's Sparrow
, the Parrot-billed Sparrow
, the Swahili Sparrow, and the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
.
The phylogeny has been obtained by Antonio Arnaiz-Villena et al.
Ecological niche
In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each other; e.g. a dolphin could potentially be in another ecological niche from one that travels in a different pod if the members of these pods utilize significantly different food...
as the House Sparrow
House Sparrow
The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia...
.
The adult Northern Grey-headed Sparrow has a pale grey head with a white moustache stripe, pale brown upperparts, whitish underparts and chestnut wings with a small white shoulder patch. The sexes are similar, but young birds are slightly duller and lack the white wing patch.
There are three subspecies, differing in plumage tone, especially with regard to the darkness of the head.
This sparrow
Sparrow
The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
is mainly resident in its range, but there is some seasonal movement, and flocks of up to 50 birds form outside the breeding season.
It builds a cup nest in trees, thatch, or old nests of other birds; 2–4 eggs are laid.
This species feeds principally on seeds and grain, like other sparrows, but will readily take insects including termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s, especially when feeding young.
The calls include cheeps and chirps, and the typical sparrow churring alarm call.
The Northern Grey-headed Sparrow is replaced in eastern and southern Africa by very similar birds that are sometimes considered races of this species: Swainson's Sparrow
Swainson's Sparrow
Swainson's Sparrow is a species of bird in the sparrow family Passeridae. It occurs in the highlands of Ethiopia and Somalia, and in some of Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Kenya. It is often considered a race of Grey-headed Sparrow, but it tends to be darker, especially on the head and...
, the Parrot-billed Sparrow
Parrot-billed Sparrow
The Parrot-billed Sparrow is found in the arid lowlands of east central Africa. At and , it is largest of the sparrows of the family Passeridae. It is often considered a subspecies of the Grey-headed Sparrow.-External links:*...
, the Swahili Sparrow, and the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
The Southern Grey-headed Sparrow 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 down to South Africa....
.
The phylogeny has been obtained by Antonio Arnaiz-Villena et al.