Bird Album
Dead Sea Sparrow
Passer moabiticus Tristram, 1864
12–13 cmLength16 gWeight
The Dead Sea sparrow (Passer moabiticus) is a species of bird in the Old World sparrow family Passeridae, with one subspecies breeding in parts of the West Asia and another in western Afghanistan and eastern Iran.
Busiest months: March and November · Most records: Israel, Kuwait, Türkiye
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: March and November · Most records: Israel, Kuwait, Türkiye
Dead Sea Sparrow has been recorded at 18 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Kfar Ruppin fishpondsIsrael634 records
- International Birding and Research Center Eilat (IBRCE)Israel550 records
- Eilat – KM19 Sewage Ponds 19Israel330 records
More places
- Eilat – KM20 Flamingo Pools 20Israel69 records
- Hula Valley – Lake AgmonIsrael29 records
- Al Jahra Reserve (Restricted access)Kuwait18 records
- Eilat north beachIsrael11 records
- Tuzla GölüTürkiye9 records
- Milleyha ve sahil şeridiTürkiye7 records
- Al Jaboul LakeSyria5 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The Dead Sea sparrow (Passer moabiticus) is a species of bird in the Old World sparrow family Passeridae, with one subspecies breeding in parts of the West Asia and another in western Afghanistan and eastern Iran. The eastern subspecies P. m. yatii is sometimes considered a separate species known as Yate's sparrow.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Dead Sea Sparrow?
The Dead Sea Sparrow is about 12–13 cm long and weighs around 16 g.
Where does the Dead Sea Sparrow live?
Its breeding range: Palearctic: south-central subtropical Palearctic in riparian vegetation and irrigation: southern Turkey and Cyprus to southwestern Afghanistan, in south to eastern Israel, western Jordan, central Iraq and southwestern Iran. It is most often recorded in Israel, Kuwait and Türkiye.
When is the best time to see the Dead Sea Sparrow?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March and November (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Dead Sea Sparrow endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Dead Sea Sparrow as Least Concern.
What does the Dead Sea Sparrow eat?
Main food: Seeds.
What family is the Dead Sea Sparrow in?
It belongs to the family Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 12–13 cm
- Weight
- 16 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Seeds
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 59 mm
- Tail
- 49 mm
- Bill
- 11 mm
- Tarsus
- 16 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Palearctic: south-central subtropical Palearctic in riparian vegetation and irrigation: southern Turkey and Cyprus to southwestern Afghanistan, in south to eastern Israel, western Jordan, central Iraq and southwestern Iran
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches Passeridae
- Genus
- Passer
Other birds in the genus Passer
Cape SparrowPasser melanurus
Chestnut SparrowPasser eminibey
Kordofan SparrowPasser cordofanicus
Shelley's SparrowPasser shelleyi
Kenya SparrowPasser rufocinctus
Great SparrowPasser motitensis
Northern Grey-headed SparrowPasser griseus
Swainson's SparrowPasser swainsonii
Swahili SparrowPasser suahelicus
Parrot-billed SparrowPasser gongonensis
Southern Grey-headed SparrowPasser diffusus
Sind SparrowPasser pyrrhonotus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Carlos N. G. Bocos. ↗
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