Swainson's Sparrow

Overview

The Swainson's sparrow (Passer swainsonii) is a species of bird in the family Passeridae, sometimes considered a subspecies of the grey-headed sparrow. It is named after the English naturalist and illustrator William Swainson.

Identification

• Body length reaches 16 centimetres with no conspicuous sexual dimorphism.
• Tends to be darker than the grey-headed sparrow, especially on the head and shoulders.
• Features a white bar on the shoulder, though this is not always visible.
• Has a pale chestnut tail and rump, which is also not always visible.

Habitat

It occurs in the highlands of Ethiopia and Somalia, and in parts of Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Kenya. Its habitats include mountainous areas, marshes, open forests, savannas, and shrubby grasslands, but it most often occurs in human settlements and their surroundings. In Ethiopian towns, it serves as the common sparrow, similar to the house sparrow in Eurasia.

Diet

Swainson's sparrows eat mostly seeds of grasses and cereals, as well as insects.

Did you know?

In Eritrea, it lives mostly on the open plateau at an altitude of 1,200 metres above sea level, while in Ethiopia it occurs in areas ranging from 1,200 to 4,500 metres above sea level.