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House Sparrows or Spanish Sparrows - Romania (1 Viewer)

Earnest lad

Well-known member
Please can anyone advise which species the birds in the attached photo are. They seem to be associating with a Stork nest.
 

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Based on the male to the left, the plain belly (no streaks), they are House; mixed colonies are possible, but AFAIK, Spanish is not common in Romania.
 
In a photo of such indifferent quality, most look unidentifiable either way to me

The bird I cropped and shown by the red arrow has a black breast, it is a male. Plain belly and flanks exclude Spanish, don't you think so?
 

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Thank you for your kind inputs.
I understand from trip reports that I read that in Romania, although the House Sparrow is more common than Spanish Sparrow, the latter is by no means rare in some parts of the country and furthermore has a tendency to attach itself to Stork nests.
The photo I had to upload had to be cut back in size to be uploadable to this forum.
I have focussed on one of the birds in the photo and attached it here. I would be grateful for some further thoughts please if possible.
 

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Thank you for your kind inputs.
I understand from trip reports that I read that in Romania, although the House Sparrow is more common than Spanish Sparrow, the latter is by no means rare in some parts of the country and furthermore has a tendency to attach itself to Stork nests.
The photo I had to upload had to be cut back in size to be uploadable to this forum.
I have focussed on one of the birds in the photo and attached it here. I would be grateful for some further thoughts please if possible.

On the last photo, it is a Spanish (or hybrid, but looks like regular Spanish). House much over number Spanish in Romania, but the later can have increased since I visited (early 1990').
 
It is well known that Spanish sparrow nest in colonies under stork nests. I am not sure I have ever heard or seen house sparrow doing this.

Rob
 
both sp.commonly breed in stork nests, in southern romania usually in mixed colonies. spanish sparrow is very numerous along danube and in dobrogea but most leave the country by late summer. in this pic i see both spanish and house sparrow ;)
 
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