Females such as this closely resemble female House Sparrows, but have a stronger eyeline. Thirteen subspecies have been described but only three are usually recognized. Birds in Japan are the paler P. c. rutilans characterized by grayish-white underparts, lacking any creamy yellow coloration. This species formerly went under the name Passer rutilans but Mlkovsk argued persuasively that the correct name for this species should be Passer cinnamomeus (Gould, 1836) on the basis of priority. This change has now been widely accepted. This species sometimes goes by the English name "Cinnamon Sparrow."