Swainson's Sparrow
Passer swainsonii (Rüppell, 1840)
16 cmLength32 gWeight
The Swainson's sparrow (Passer swainsonii) is a species of bird in the sparrow family Passeridae.
Busiest months: November · Most records: Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: November · Most records: Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea
Swainson's Sparrow has been recorded at 35 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Addis Ababa – Ghion HotelEthiopia234 records
- Hara Langano LodgeEthiopia179 records
- Debre Libanos – Lodge and Portuguese BridgeEthiopia162 records
More places
- Lake Awassa – United Africa Shebelle Hotel areaEthiopia160 records
- Lake Ziway – southwestern shoreEthiopia155 records
- Sululta PlainEthiopia133 records
- Doho LodgeEthiopia114 records
- Debre Libanos MonasteryEthiopia105 records
- Bishangari LodgeEthiopia91 records
- Melka GhebduEthiopia89 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 Swainson's sparrow (Passer swainsonii) is a species of bird in the sparrow family Passeridae. Sometimes considered a subspecies of the grey-headed sparrow, it occurs in northeastern Africa, largely in the Ethiopian Highlands. This sparrow was named after the English naturalist and illustrator William Swainson.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Swainson's Sparrow?
The Swainson's Sparrow is about 16 cm long and weighs around 32 g.
Where does the Swainson's Sparrow live?
Its breeding range: Africa: northeastern African nonforest and anthropogenic habitats: northwestern Eritrea east through Ethiopia to Djibouti and northern Somalia; southern to eastern South Sudan and far northern Kenya. It is most often recorded in Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea.
When is the best time to see the Swainson's Sparrow?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Swainson's Sparrow endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Swainson's Sparrow as Least Concern.
What does the Swainson's Sparrow eat?
Main food: Seeds.
What family is the Swainson's Sparrow in?
It belongs to the family Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 16 cm
- Weight
- 32 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Seeds
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 87 mm
- Tail
- 71 mm
- Bill
- 15 mm
- Tarsus
- 20 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: northeastern African nonforest and anthropogenic habitats: northwestern Eritrea east through Ethiopia to Djibouti and northern Somalia; southern to eastern South Sudan and far northern Kenya
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
Swahili SparrowPasser suahelicus
Parrot-billed SparrowPasser gongonensis
Southern Grey-headed SparrowPasser diffusus
Sind SparrowPasser pyrrhonotus
Russet SparrowPasser cinnamomeus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Asrat Ayalew Gella. ↗
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