Cape SparrowPasser melanurusA handsome, unstreaked, brightly colored sparrow with different-looking males and females. The male has a distinctive black head and throat with a striking white crescent extending from the eye around the ear. The female has a pale gray head with a diffuse pale crescent, similar in shape to the male’s. Pairs and small flocks are resident in a wide variety of natural and human-altered habitats. House and Great Rufous Sparrows have streaked backs and lack the distinctive facial pattern of the Cape Sparrow.Passeridae bird family
Order Passeriformes · 7 selected species
Browse verified BirdLens profiles selected for complete taxonomy, substantial descriptive coverage, and visual evidence. Open a species to compare its identification notes, distribution, behavior, sounds, and maps.
Cape SparrowPasser melanurusA handsome, unstreaked, brightly colored sparrow with different-looking males and females. The male has a distinctive black head and throat with a striking white crescent extending from the eye around the ear. The female has a pale gray head with a diffuse pale crescent, similar in shape to the male’s. Pairs and small flocks are resident in a wide variety of natural and human-altered habitats. House and Great Rufous Sparrows have streaked backs and lack the distinctive facial pattern of the Cape Sparrow.
Chestnut SparrowPasser eminibeyAn unusual small, richly colored sparrow of dry country. Males are completely chestnut with a darker head. Females are rufous-brown on the back, mostly gray on the head, and pale below. Found in rather dry savanna and woodland. Nests colonially and usually found in flocks, sometimes large, and sometimes mixed with other bird species. Male resembles breeding male Chestnut Weaver, but is much smaller overall, and smaller-billed. Female is similar to female House and Somali Sparrows, but more richly colored. The common calls include chirps, chatters, and a slow trill of chirping notes.
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusThis common Eurasian species is a close relative of the House Sparrow. Slightly smaller than House Sparrow with entirely rufous cap, black and white cheek, and limited black in the throat. Males and females are similar. Typically found in noisy small flocks, often in more natural areas than concrete-loving House Sparrow; calls are often higher-pitched than those of House Sparrow, and has a slightly slower chatter. Feeds on seeds. Introduced to a small region in the central U.S. and southeast Australia.Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusThis common Eurasian species is a close relative of the House Sparrow. Slightly smaller than House Sparrow with entirely rufous cap, black and white cheek, and limited black in the throat. Males and females are similar. Typically found in noisy small flocks, often in more natural areas than concrete-loving House Sparrow; calls are often higher-pitched than those of House Sparrow, and has a slightly slower chatter. Feeds on seeds. Introduced to a small region in the central U.S. and southeast Australia.
House SparrowPasser domesticusWidespread and abundant in cities, neighborhoods and farms. Avoids dense woods. Flocks cluster in dense bushes, bustling around and chattering to one another. Males have smart black bibs, bright rufous napes, and stunningly patterned wings with brilliant buffs and browns. Underparts are pale pearly-gray. Females are plain brown with cute face and lighter eyebrow. Native to Eurasia; introduced to much of the rest of the world.
Russet SparrowPasser cinnamomeusWell-attired small songbird typically associated with mid- to high-elevation farms, fields, and open forests throughout its range. Found in less intensively developed areas than House and Eurasian Tree Sparrows, sticking to villages and pastures and staying away from large city centers. Male has bright chestnut cap and back, whitish cheek, narrow black throat, and pale gray belly. Female brownish with broad streaks above, pale below, with white wingbars and broad tan supercilium.
Sind SparrowPasser pyrrhonotusA small, strikingly patterned sparrow which is extremely similar to the House Sparrow. The male has a bright chestnut eye-stripe, a gray crown and hindneck, a black patch restricted to the chin, a large white shoulder patch, and a black bill. The female is like the female House Sparrow, but note the less contrasting face with grayer head and cheeks. Found in scrub and reedy habitat along rivers, canals, and other wetlands. Colonial, and also mixes with other sparrows and finches.