Shelley's Rufous Sparrow
Passer shelleyi
A typical sparrow with a striped back, a gray crown and nape, and a black bib. The rufous rump is conspicuous in flight. The sexes are similar, though males are brighter overall and have more rufous on the face. Found locally in dry thorn savanna and cultivated areas, sometimes around human habitation. Similar to Somali Sparrow, but the male is separated by his gray crown and the female by her much more colorful overall plumage. Very similar to Kenya Rufous Sparrow, but not known to overlap in range, and Shelley’s is separated by its dark eye. The call is a cheerful “chirp” like that of other sparrows.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Passer shelleyi
- Authority
- Sharpe, 1891
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passeridae
- Genus
- Passer
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Oleaginous Hemispingus
Sphenopsis frontalis
A study in dull yellow, this nondescript tanager lacks any distinctive field marks. The slightly brighter yellow eyebrow is only present in some regions, and might suggest something like a Citrine Warbler, but note the stouter bill and slightly chunkier shape. Usually found in pairs or small groups, often following mixed-species flocks through the understory and middle levels of foothill and subtropical forest from 1,500–2,500 m.
Ferruginous-backed Antbird
Myrmoderus ferrugineus
Beautiful medium-sized antbird of rainforest floor; most common in tall primary forest. Note rich rusty coloration, bright blue eyering, and habit of walking on ground; throat is black in males and white in females. Flips leaf litter and probes into crevices in logs, often jumping up onto fallen trees and walking along them. Distinctive song is musical and carries far. Can be difficult to see; scolding rattle is usually the first indication that one is nearby.
Golden Pheasant
Chrysolophus pictus
Shy and surprisingly difficult to find in mixed and conifer woodland, where it runs quickly from detected disturbance. Red-and-gold male stunning and unmistakable. Female differs from Common Pheasant in strongly barred plumage, dull pinkish (not gray) legs and feet and from Lady Amherst’s Pheasant in lighter barring, more orangeish coloration, and the lack of a bare patch of gray skin behind the eye. Native to China but introduced very locally in Britain and Hawaii; however, captive birds might escape anywhere.
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