Parrot bill Sparrow
| Parrot bill Sparrow | ||||||||||||
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Parrot bill Sparrow |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Passer gongonensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Oustalet , 1890) |
The parrot- billed sparrow ( Passer gongonensis ) is a species of bird in the sparrow family. The species occurs exclusively in the east of Africa. Some authors believe that the parrot- billed sparrow is a subspecies of the gray-headed sparrow.
The IUCN classifies the parrot-billed sparrow as not endangered ( least concern ).
Appearance
The parrot beak reaches a body length of 18 centimeters. It is therefore larger than other gray-headed sparrows found in Africa such as the gray- headed sparrow or the Swainson sparrow . It differs from these among other things by the chunkier, rounder beak.
The head of the parrot beaked sparrow is medium gray. On the sides of the neck and on the coat, the plumage turns into a brownish gray. The back, the rump and the upper tail-coverts are maroon. The control feathers are dark brown with narrow red-brown lines. The region between the base of the beak and the eye is dark gray-brown, the ear covers are somewhat lighter. The cheeks, throat, chest, and thighs are light gray-brown with a lighter region in the center of the chin and throat. The under tail-coverts are also light gray-brown. The bill is blackish horn-colored, the eyes are brown and the legs are flesh-colored.
Fledglings are similar to adult birds, but the head and coat are more brownish, the rump is more ocher in color and the upper beak is still brown.
distribution
The parrot-billed sparrow is endemic to East Africa . The extreme south-east of Sudan is one of its range, where it is not very common. The species is also found in Uganda, in southern Ethiopia and Somalia, and in northeastern Tanzania. The distribution area extends over a total of 611,000 square kilometers.
habitat
The habitat of the parrot-billed sparrows is the open savannah, loosely covered with thorn bushes, as well as grassland overgrown with bushes. They are also found in the vicinity of human settlements, but are less common here than other gray-headed sparrow species. The altitude distribution of the parrot-billed sparrow reaches from sea level to altitudes of 2000 meters.
Way of life
Parrot-billed sparrows mostly occur in pairs or in small groups of four to six individuals. Occasionally they appear in troops of 20 to 30 individuals. They are generally more shy than other gray-headed sparrow species and, although they search for food in the vicinity of villages, they are rarely seen within the built-up areas. They mainly look for food on the ground, foraging mainly in the early morning and late evening hours. For some years now, parrot-billed sparrows have been increasingly found near lodges and picnic areas in game reserves to look for leftovers.
The diet consists mainly of grass seeds and insects. The nest is built as a free nest in trees and bushes and occasionally in holes in baobab trees. Regardless of the location of the nest, it is in principle always a ball nest with a side entrance. The nest is not built very carefully; the nesting material that has not been processed on the outside usually hangs loosely. The parrot-billed sparrow occasionally uses abandoned nests of other bird species.
The clutch usually comprises two eggs, these are gray-white with numerous gray and red-brown spots. The breeding season in Ethiopia falls from December to March and May. In Somalia, the birds breed in June, September and November. The breeding season usually falls in the rainy season or in the period immediately after the rainy season. However, they also breed during the dry season, provided there are irrigated fields nearby.
literature
- C. Hilary Fry , Stuart Keith (Eds.): The Birds of Africa. Volume VII. Christopher Helm, London 2004, ISBN 0-7136-6531-9 .
Web links
- The parrot beak on Avibase
- BirdLife factsheet on the parrot beaked sparrow
- Passer gongonensis inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
Single receipts
- ↑ The Parrot-billed Sparrow on Avibase , accessed July 29, 2911
- ↑ a b BirdLife factsheet on the parrot-beaked sparrow , accessed on June 29, 2011
- ↑ a b c d Fry et al., P. 6