Sparrow
Encyclopedia
The sparrows are a family
of small passerine
bird
s, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World
sparrows, names also used for a genus
of the family, Passer
. As eight or more species nest in or near buildings, and the House Sparrow
and Eurasian Tree Sparrow in particular inhabit cities in large numbers, sparrows may be the most familiar of all wild birds.
s. The differences between sparrow species can be subtle. They are primarily seed-eaters
, though they also consume small insect
s. A few species scavenge for food around cities and, like gull
s or pigeons
, will happily eat virtually anything in small quantities. Members of this family range in size from the Chestnut Sparrow
(Passer eminibey), at 11.4 centimetres (4.5 in) and 13.4 gram (0.4726710922085 oz), to the Parrot-billed Sparrow
(Passer gongonensis), at 18 centimetres (7.1 in) and 42 grams (1.5 oz). Sparrows are physically similar to other seed-eating birds, such as finch
es, but have a vestigial dorsal outer primary feather and an extra bone in the tongue.
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Some authorities previously classified the related estrildid finch
es of the Old World
tropics
and Australasia
as members of the Passeridae. Like sparrows, the estrildid finches are small, gregarious and often colonial seed-eaters with short, thick, but pointed bills. They are broadly similar in structure and habits, but tend to be very colourful and vary greatly in their plumage
. There are about 140 species. The 2008 Christidis and Boles taxonomic
scheme lists the estrildid finches as the separate family Estrildidae, leaving just the true sparrows in Passeridae.
Despite some resemblance such as the seed-eater's bill and frequently well-marked heads, American sparrow
s, or New World
sparrows, are members of a different family, Emberizidae
, which also includes the buntings
. The Hedge Sparrow or Dunnock
(Prunella modularis) is similarly unrelated. It is a sparrow in name only, a relict of the old practice of calling more types of small birds "sparrows".
, Africa
and Asia
. In Australia
and the Americas
, early settlers imported some species which quickly naturalised, particularly in urban and degraded areas. House Sparrows, for example, are now found throughout North America
, in every state of Australia except Western Australia
, and over much of the heavily populated parts of South America
.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of small passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
sparrows, names also used for a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of the family, Passer
Passer
Passer is a genus of Old World sparrows. These sparrows are plump little brown or greyish birds often with black, yellow or white markings. Typically 10–20 cm long, they have short tails and stubby conical beaks...
. As eight or more species nest in or near buildings, and 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...
and Eurasian Tree Sparrow in particular inhabit cities in large numbers, sparrows may be the most familiar of all wild birds.
Description
Generally, sparrows tend to be small, plump brown-grey birds with short tails and stubby, powerful beakBeak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
s. The differences between sparrow species can be subtle. They are primarily seed-eaters
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
, though they also consume small insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. A few species scavenge for food around cities and, like gull
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
s or pigeons
Rock Pigeon
The Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae . In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon"....
, will happily eat virtually anything in small quantities. Members of this family range in size from the Chestnut Sparrow
Chestnut Sparrow
The Chestnut Sparrow is a species of passerine bird in the sparrow family Passeridae. It is the smallest member of the sparrow family, at about long. The breeding male has deep chestnut plumage and the female and juvenile are duller in appearance...
(Passer eminibey), at 11.4 centimetres (4.5 in) and 13.4 gram (0.4726710922085 oz), to 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:*...
(Passer gongonensis), at 18 centimetres (7.1 in) and 42 grams (1.5 oz). Sparrows are physically similar to other seed-eating birds, such as finch
Finch
The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
es, but have a vestigial dorsal outer primary feather and an extra bone in the tongue.
Taxonomy
Estrildid finch
The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae , or as a sub-group within the family Passeridae, which also includes the true sparrows....
es of the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
tropics
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
and Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
as members of the Passeridae. Like sparrows, the estrildid finches are small, gregarious and often colonial seed-eaters with short, thick, but pointed bills. They are broadly similar in structure and habits, but tend to be very colourful and vary greatly in their plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
. There are about 140 species. The 2008 Christidis and Boles taxonomic
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
scheme lists the estrildid finches as the separate family Estrildidae, leaving just the true sparrows in Passeridae.
Despite some resemblance such as the seed-eater's bill and frequently well-marked heads, American sparrow
American sparrow
American sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming part of the family Emberizidae. American sparrows are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns....
s, or New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
sparrows, are members of a different family, Emberizidae
Emberizidae
The Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill.In Europe, most species are called buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the sparrows, the...
, which also includes the buntings
Bunting (bird)
Buntings are a group of Eurasian and African passerine birds of the family Emberizidae.They are seed-eating birds with stubby, conical bills, and are the Old World equivalents of the species known in North America as sparrows...
. The Hedge Sparrow or Dunnock
Dunnock
The Dunnock, Prunella modularis, is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Europe and into Asia. It is by far the most widespread member of the accentor family, which otherwise consists of mountain species...
(Prunella modularis) is similarly unrelated. It is a sparrow in name only, a relict of the old practice of calling more types of small birds "sparrows".
Species
This is a list of sparrow species:- PasserPasserPasser is a genus of Old World sparrows. These sparrows are plump little brown or greyish birds often with black, yellow or white markings. Typically 10–20 cm long, they have short tails and stubby conical beaks...
, the true sparrows- Saxaul SparrowSaxaul SparrowThe Saxaul Sparrow is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in parts of Central Asia. At and , it is among the larger sparrows. Both sexes have plumage ranging from dull grey to sandy brown, and pale brown legs. Females have less boldly coloured plumage and bills, lacking the...
, Passer ammodendri - House SparrowHouse SparrowThe 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...
, Passer domesticus - Italian SparrowItalian SparrowThe Italian Sparrow is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean region. In appearance, it is intermediate between the House Sparrow, and the Spanish Sparrow, a species of the Mediterranean and Central Asia closely related to the House...
, Passer italiae - Spanish SparrowSpanish SparrowThe Spanish Sparrow or Willow Sparrow is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It is found in the Mediterranean region and southwest and central Asia...
, Passer hispaniolensis - Sind SparrowSind SparrowThe Sind Sparrow , also known as the Sind Jungle Sparrow, Jungle Sparrow, or Rufous-backed Sparrow, is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae...
, Passer pyrrhonotus - Somali SparrowSomali SparrowThe Somali Sparrow is a sparrow found in northern Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya....
, Passer castanopterus - Russet Sparrow, Passer rutilans
- Plain-backed Sparrow, Passer flaveolus
- Dead Sea SparrowDead Sea SparrowThe Dead Sea Sparrow , as its name suggests, is a breeding bird around the River Jordan, Dead Sea, and into Iraq, Iran and western Afghanistan. Breeding recorded in Cyprus but is probably extinct there now...
, Passer moabiticus - Iago SparrowIago SparrowThe Iago Sparrow , is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It 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....
, Passer iagoensis - Great Sparrow, Passer motitensis
- Kenya Sparrow, Passer rufocinctus
- Kordofan SparrowKordofan SparrowThe Kordofan Sparrow, also known as the Kordofan Rufous Sparrow, is a sparrow found only in northwestern Sudan and eastern Chad. It is frequently considered a subspecies of the Kenya Sparrow, which in turn is considered a subspecies of the Great Sparrow....
, Passer cordofanicus - Shelley's SparrowShelley's SparrowShelley's Sparrow , also known as Shelley's Rufous Sparrow or the White Nile Rufous Sparrow, is a sparrow found in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya. It is frequently considered a subspecies of the Kenya Sparrow, which in turn is considered a subspecies of the Great Sparrow.- External links...
, Passer shelleyi - Socotra SparrowSocotra SparrowThe Socotra Sparrow is a passerine bird endemic to the islands of Socotra, Samhah, and Darsah in the Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Africa...
, Passer insularis - Abd al-Kuri SparrowAbd al-Kuri SparrowThe Abd al-Kuri Sparrow is a passerine bird endemic to the small island of Abd al Kuri in the Socotra archiplago of the Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Africa. Though this species was originally described as a distinct species, it is usually considered the same as the Socotra Sparrow...
, Passer hemileucus - Cape SparrowCape SparrowThe Cape Sparrow or Mossie is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. Brightly coloured and distinctive, it is coloured grey, brown, and chestnut, with some black and white markings on the male...
, Passer melanurus - Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Passer griseus
- Swainson's SparrowSwainson's SparrowSwainson'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...
, Passer swainsonii - Parrot-billed SparrowParrot-billed SparrowThe 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:*...
, Passer gongonensis - Swahili Sparrow, Passer suahelicus
- Southern Grey-headed SparrowSouthern Grey-headed SparrowThe 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....
, Passer diffusus - Desert SparrowDesert SparrowThe Desert Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It is found in desert and sandy areas of northern and central Africa, with a distinct subspecies in areas of Iran, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan sometimes called the Asian Desert Sparrow or Zarudny's Sparrow .The Desert Sparrow is not...
, Passer simplex - Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus
- Sudan Golden SparrowSudan Golden SparrowThe Sudan Golden Sparrow is a small bird in the sparrow family, found to the south of the Sahara Desert in Africa. It is a popular cage bird, and in aviculture it is known as the Golden Song Sparrow...
, Passer luteus - Arabian Golden SparrowArabian Golden SparrowThe Arabian Golden Sparrow is a sparrow found in south west Arabia and also the coast of Somalia and Djibouti where it occurs in thorn savanna and scrub habitats. It is sometimes considered as a subspecies of the Sudan Golden Sparrow .- External links :*...
, Passer euchlorus - Chestnut SparrowChestnut SparrowThe Chestnut Sparrow is a species of passerine bird in the sparrow family Passeridae. It is the smallest member of the sparrow family, at about long. The breeding male has deep chestnut plumage and the female and juvenile are duller in appearance...
, Passer eminibey
- Saxaul Sparrow
- PetroniaPetroniaThe petronias or rock sparrows are a genus, Petronia, of sparrows. Most species are found in Africa with some species ranging in Asia and even Europe.There are five species:* Yellow-spotted Petronia Petronia pyrgita...
, the petronias or rock sparrows- Yellow-spotted PetroniaYellow-spotted PetroniaThe Yellow-spotted Petronia is a species of bird in the sparrow family Passeridae. It is found in Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland....
, Petronia pyrgita - Yellow-throated Sparrow, Petronia xanthocollis
- Yellow-throated PetroniaYellow-throated PetroniaThe Yellow-throated Petronia is a species of bird in the sparrow family Passeridae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe...
, Petronia superciliaris - Bush PetroniaBush PetroniaThe Bush Petronia is a species of bird in the Passeridae family. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and Yemen...
, Petronia dentata - Rock SparrowRock SparrowThe Rock Sparrow, Petronia petronia, is a small passerine bird. This sparrow breeds on barren rocky hills from the Iberian peninsula and western north Africa across southern Europe and through central Asia. It is largely resident in the west of its range, but Asian birds migrate to more southerly...
, Petronia petronia
- Yellow-spotted Petronia
- Carpospiza
- Pale RockfinchPale RockfinchThe Pale Rockfinch or Pale Rock Sparrow is a small sparrow found in the Middle East and Central Asia. It is the only living member of the genus Carpospiza. Some authorities include it in the genus Petronia...
, Carpospiza brachydactyla
- Pale Rockfinch
- MontifringillaSnowfinchThe snowfinches make up the passerine bird genus Montifringilla. Despite their common name, they are Old World sparrows , not true finches...
, the snowfinches- White-winged SnowfinchWhite-winged SnowfinchThe White-winged Snowfinch , or just Snowfinch, is a small passerine bird. Despite its name, it is a sparrow rather than a true finch.-Distribution and habitat:...
, Montifringilla nivalis - Black-winged SnowfinchBlack-winged SnowfinchThe Black-winged Snowfinch, Adams's Snowfinch or Tibetan Snowfinch is a species of bird in the sparrow family. It is found in China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland...
, Montifringilla adamsi - White-rumped SnowfinchWhite-rumped SnowfinchThe White-rumped Snowfinch is a species of bird in the sparrow family. It is found in China, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and temperate grassland.-External links:...
, Montifringilla taczanowskii - Père David's Snowfinch, Montifringilla davidiana
- Rufous-necked SnowfinchRufous-necked SnowfinchThe Rufous-necked Snowfinch is a species of bird in the sparrow family.It is found in China, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland.-External links:* — Oriental Bird Club....
, Montifringilla ruficollis - Blanford's Snowfinch, Montifringilla blanfordi
- Afghan SnowfinchAfghan SnowfinchThe Afghan Snowfinch , also known as Theresa's Snowfinch, is a bird of the sparrow family and is an Afghan endemic found only in the Hindu Kush. The species was named by Richard Meinertzhagen after his cousin and companion, Theresa Clay, who was an expert on bird lice.It is 13.5–15 cm long...
, Montifringilla theresae
- White-winged Snowfinch
Distribution
The sparrows are indigenous to EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, early settlers imported some species which quickly naturalised, particularly in urban and degraded areas. House Sparrows, for example, are now found throughout North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, in every state of Australia except Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, and over much of the heavily populated parts of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
External links
- Passeridae at the Internet Bird Collection