Parrot-billed Sparrow

Passer gongonensis (Oustalet, 1890)

40 gWeight

The parrot-billed sparrow (Passer gongonensis) is found in the arid lowlands of eastern Africa.

Most records: Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Parrot-billed Sparrow has been recorded at 57 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Buffalo Springs NRKenya491 records
Samburu NRKenya450 records
Amboseli NPKenya252 records

More places

Lake BaringoKenya215 records
Buffalo Springs NR – Samburu Simba LodgeKenya202 records
Shaba NRKenya198 records
Lake Baringo – West ShoreKenya191 records
Tsavo East NP – Southern SectionKenya172 records
Tsavo West NPKenya142 records
Tsavo East NPKenya136 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Kenya Somalia Tanzania Ethiopia

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 parrot-billed sparrow (Passer gongonensis) is found in the arid lowlands of eastern Africa. At 18 centimetres (7.1 in) and 42 grams (1.5 oz), it is the largest of the sparrows of the family Passeridae. It is often considered a subspecies of the grey-headed sparrow.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Parrot-billed Sparrow?

The Parrot-billed Sparrow weighs around 40 g.

Where does the Parrot-billed Sparrow live?

Its breeding range: Africa: northeastern African semiarid open country to wooded savanna: southeastern South Sudan, southern Ethiopia and central Somalia south through eastern Uganda, Kenya and far northern Tanzania. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania.

Is the Parrot-billed Sparrow endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Parrot-billed Sparrow as Least Concern.

What does the Parrot-billed Sparrow eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Parrot-billed Sparrow in?

It belongs to the family Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight: 40 g
Habitat: Shrubland
Diet: Seeds
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 95 mm
Tail: 67 mm
Bill: 15 mm
Tarsus: 21 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: northeastern African semiarid open country to wooded savanna: southeastern South Sudan, southern Ethiopia and central Somalia south through eastern Uganda, Kenya and far northern Tanzania

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2