Sind Sparrow

Overview

The Sind sparrow (Passer pyrrhonotus) is a small passerine bird found primarily in the Indus valley region of South Asia. Also known as the jungle sparrow, it is very similar to the house sparrow but is slightly smaller with distinct plumage features. This species is currently assessed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Males display a short black bib, a broad chestnut eye stripe, and a grey crown with a rufous lower back.
• Females possess a darker, greyer crown and cheek than house sparrows, with darker chestnut shoulders.
• The species measures approximately 13 cm in length, making it smaller than the house sparrow, with a black bill in breeding males and pale brown in others.
• The vocalisation is a soft, high-pitched chirping 'chup' call that is less strident than that of the house sparrow, extended into songs with grating notes by breeding males.

Habitat

The bird breeds in riverine and wetland habitats featuring acacia and tamarisk scrub, tall grass, and thorny vegetation, invariably near water sources. Its range covers the Indus valley in Pakistan, extending into parts of India, western Pakistan, and occasionally Iran. Irrigation canals and human habitations with adequate cover have facilitated range expansion into areas like the Yamuna floodplain.

Diet

Sind sparrows feed mainly on seeds from grasses and plants such as Polygonum plebeium, with insects like caterpillars consumed less frequently, particularly for nestlings. Foraging is social and close to the ground, occurring on flats alongside rivers where flocks fly into nearby bushes when disturbed.

Did you know?

Despite being described in the 1840s, the species was undetected for 36 years because of its close resemblance to the house sparrow, leading ornithologist Allan Octavian Hume to joke that hundreds of house sparrows he had killed in the search 'ought to form a heavy load' on the original describer's conscience.