Somali Sparrow

Passer castanopterus Blyth, 1855

18 gWeight

The Somali sparrow (Passer castanopterus) is a species of bird in the family Passeridae found in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Busiest months: September · Most records: Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Somali Sparrow has been recorded at 19 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Camp LemonnierDjibouti76 records
Decan Wildlife RefugeDjibouti27 records
Douda WTPDjibouti19 records

More places

Samburu NRKenya19 records
Khor AmbadoDjibouti8 records
Djibouti City – Kempinski HotelDjibouti7 records
Tidal Flats near Turtle IslandDjibouti5 records
La Siesta plageDjibouti4 records
Djibouti City – Ambouli estuaryDjibouti4 records
Buffalo Springs NRKenya4 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Djibouti Kenya Ethiopia Somalia

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 Somali sparrow (Passer castanopterus) is a species of bird in the family Passeridae found in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.

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

Questions

How big is the Somali Sparrow?

The Somali Sparrow weighs around 18 g.

Where does the Somali Sparrow live?

Its breeding range: Africa: northeastern Africa in arid and semiarid natural and anthropogenic habitats: Djibouti, northeastern Ethiopia and Somalia (except southern); disjunctly in southwestern Ethiopia and northwestern Kenya. It is most often recorded in Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia.

When is the best time to see the Somali Sparrow?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Somali Sparrow endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Somali Sparrow as Least Concern.

What does the Somali Sparrow eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Somali Sparrow in?

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

At a glance

Weight: 18 g
Habitat: Desert
Diet: Seeds
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 69 mm
Tail: 51 mm
Bill: 12 mm
Tarsus: 16 mm

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

Range

Africa: northeastern Africa in arid and semiarid natural and anthropogenic habitats: Djibouti, northeastern Ethiopia and Somalia (except southern); disjunctly in southwestern Ethiopia and northwestern Kenya

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2