Southern Grey-headed Sparrow

Passer diffusus (Smith, A, 1836)

24 gWeight

The southern grey-headed sparrow (Passer diffusus) is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow has been recorded at 223 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 11 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Kruger NP – Satara CampSouth Africa995 records
Rietvlei NRSouth Africa545 records
Kruger NP – Skukuza CampSouth Africa437 records

More places

Mkhuze GRSouth Africa431 records
Zaagkuildrift RdSouth Africa420 records
Delta ParkSouth Africa361 records
Etosha NP – Okaukuejo CampNamibia355 records
Ondudu LodgeNamibia329 records
Etosha NP – Halali CampNamibia301 records
Benfontein NRSouth Africa296 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South Africa Namibia Botswana Zimbabwe Zambia Mozambique Malawi Eswatini

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 southern grey-headed sparrow (Passer diffusus) is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the grey-headed sparrow. It is found in savanna and woodland in Angola and Zambia southwards into South Africa, where it is expanding its range and is kept as a caged bird, like its relative the white-rumped seedeater.

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

Questions

How big is the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow?

The Southern Grey-headed Sparrow weighs around 24 g.

Where does the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow live?

Its breeding range: Africa: southern African open woodlands and anthropogenic habitats: eastern, southern Angola east to northern Zambia and southern Tanzania, south through South Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.

When is the best time to see the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow as Least Concern.

What does the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow in?

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

At a glance

Weight: 24 g
Habitat: Woodland
Diet: Seeds
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 81 mm
Tail: 64 mm
Bill: 12 mm
Tarsus: 19 mm

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

Range

Africa: southern African open woodlands and anthropogenic habitats: eastern, southern Angola east to northern Zambia and southern Tanzania, south through South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2