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| − | + | '''Alternative names: Great Rufous Sparrow; Southern Rufous Sparrow; Namibia Rufous Sparrow (''benguellensis'')''' | |
| − | [[Image:Southern_Rufous_Sparrow.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by nkgray<br /> | + | [[Image:Southern_Rufous_Sparrow.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|nkgray|nkgray}}<br />Hotazel, Northern Cape, [[South Africa]], July 2006]] |
| − | |||
;[[:Category:Passer|Passer]] motitensis | ;[[:Category:Passer|Passer]] motitensis | ||
==Identification== | ==Identification== | ||
| − | + | 15 - 16cm. One of the largest sparrows. | |
| + | * Blue-grey crown and nape | ||
| + | * Black lores | ||
| + | * Chestnut crescent-shaped band from eye to side of neck, encircling paler grey ear-coverts | ||
| + | * Small black bib on chin and central throat | ||
| + | * Chestnut upperparts | ||
| + | * Bodly streaked black mantle and inner scapulars | ||
| + | * Blackish to dark brown upperwing | ||
| + | * Broad white tips on medain coverts | ||
| + | * Dark brown tail | ||
| + | * Pale grey underparts | ||
| + | Females have the same plumage pattern but are duller and the chestnut on the head is replaced by creamy buff. Juveniles resemble females but look more washed-out. | ||
| + | ====Similar species==== | ||
| + | Similar to [[Kenya Rufous Sparrow]] but ranges don't overlap. Also similar to the introduced [[House Sparrow]], but it's larger, the colours are brighter, and the rump is rufous rather than grey. | ||
| + | ==Distribution== | ||
| + | Southern [[Africa]]: found in [[Angola]], [[Zambia]], [[Namibia]], [[Botswana]], [[Zimbabwe]], [[South Africa]], [[Lesotho]] and [[Swaziland]]. | ||
| − | + | Locally common. | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
==Taxonomy== | ==Taxonomy== | ||
| + | ====Subspecies==== | ||
''Passer motitensis'' has three subspecies:<sup>[[#References|1]]</sup> | ''Passer motitensis'' has three subspecies:<sup>[[#References|1]]</sup> | ||
*''P. m. benguellensis'' | *''P. m. benguellensis'' | ||
| Line 17: | Line 30: | ||
*''P. m. motitensis'' | *''P. m. motitensis'' | ||
:*[[Botswana]] to central and western [[South Africa]] | :*[[Botswana]] to central and western [[South Africa]] | ||
| − | + | Some authorities include [[Kenya Rufous Sparrow]] (and sometimes also [[Iago Sparrow]] and [[Socotra Sparrow]]) in this species and call this species '''Rufous Sparrow'''. | |
==Habitat== | ==Habitat== | ||
| − | Dry, wooded savanna and | + | Dry, wooded savanna. Not associated with man. |
| + | ==Behaviour== | ||
| + | Less sociable than most sparrows and usually encountered in pairs. | ||
| + | ====Diet==== | ||
| + | Feeds on seeds of grass and cultivated cereals. Nestlings are fed with insects.<br /> | ||
| + | ====Breeding==== | ||
| + | Breeding season from September to February. A solitary breeder. The nest is a dome of the size of a rugby football with an entrance at the top end and made of grass. It's placed in a thorny tree, sometimes in a rock crevice. Lays 3 - 6 eggs. | ||
| − | + | A nomadic species. | |
==References== | ==References== | ||
| − | #{{Ref- | + | #{{Ref-Clements6thAug13}}#{{Ref-HBWVol14}} |
{{ref}} | {{ref}} | ||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
Revision as of 23:27, 1 August 2014
Alternative names: Great Rufous Sparrow; Southern Rufous Sparrow; Namibia Rufous Sparrow (benguellensis)
- Passer motitensis
Identification
15 - 16cm. One of the largest sparrows.
- Blue-grey crown and nape
- Black lores
- Chestnut crescent-shaped band from eye to side of neck, encircling paler grey ear-coverts
- Small black bib on chin and central throat
- Chestnut upperparts
- Bodly streaked black mantle and inner scapulars
- Blackish to dark brown upperwing
- Broad white tips on medain coverts
- Dark brown tail
- Pale grey underparts
Females have the same plumage pattern but are duller and the chestnut on the head is replaced by creamy buff. Juveniles resemble females but look more washed-out.
Similar species
Similar to Kenya Rufous Sparrow but ranges don't overlap. Also similar to the introduced House Sparrow, but it's larger, the colours are brighter, and the rump is rufous rather than grey.
Distribution
Southern Africa: found in Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.
Locally common.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Passer motitensis has three subspecies:1
- P. m. benguellensis
- P. m. subsolanus
- Southern Zimbabwe to north-eastern South Africa and north-western Swaziland
- P. m. motitensis
- Botswana to central and western South Africa
Some authorities include Kenya Rufous Sparrow (and sometimes also Iago Sparrow and Socotra Sparrow) in this species and call this species Rufous Sparrow.
Habitat
Dry, wooded savanna. Not associated with man.
Behaviour
Less sociable than most sparrows and usually encountered in pairs.
Diet
Feeds on seeds of grass and cultivated cereals. Nestlings are fed with insects.
Breeding
Breeding season from September to February. A solitary breeder. The nest is a dome of the size of a rugby football with an entrance at the top end and made of grass. It's placed in a thorny tree, sometimes in a rock crevice. Lays 3 - 6 eggs.
A nomadic species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Great Sparrow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Great_Sparrow
