Passer hispaniolensis - Spanish Sparrow
Feather characters. Barbules are rather short (0.61-0.76 mm) and divided into pigmented nodes and unpigmented or partly pigmented (less than 50%) internodes. Occasionally, very dark stippled pigment is found in distal internodes. Bell-shaped nodes are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules (32-36 per mm). They all are about the same size, slightly decreasing towards distal end. Distally nodes are more elongated. Villi are rounded and internodes are straight. Occasionally, minute prongs may be present on distal end of barbules and on both sides of the pennulum. Barbules have this typical structure for Passeriformes; pigmented, bell-shaped nodes combined with rounded villi.
Field characters. Size 15 cm. Weight 24.2 g (18.0-28.0) (Dunning, 1993). Hard to distinguish from Italian subspecies of House Sparrow; differs in darker colour of upperparts, streaked flanks (much more obvious in male than in female and juvenile) and black chest (in male). Male has warm rufous brown head, with obvious white supercilium, white cheeks, dark brown upperparts and wings, more extensively streaked with black than in House Sparrow, brown rump, blackish brown tail, black throat and chest and black bold streaks along flanks; rest of underparts are off-white. Females and juveniles are much less vividly coloured than male; head lacks rich tone of male's, underparts are off-white with faint brownish streaks on flanks. Female is almost similar to female House Sparrow but with slightly stronger bill and with faint streaking on underparts (absent in House Sparrow). Behaviour as House Sparrow, but usually nests in tangled scrub in fields, away from human habitation. Occasionally interbreeds with House Sparrow.
Voice. Similar to that of House Sparrow, but deeper and warmer.
Distribution. Common breeding bird in southern Europe (absent Sicily and mainland Italy). Some populations winter south of breeding range, outside Europe; others are resident. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Not an urban species; only occasionally replaces House Sparrow in human settlements where latter is absent. Commonly found on bushy or well-forested terrain near open fields. Nests in trees and dense scrub, often near water; frequently at base of inhabited nests of birds of prey and Storks.
Food. Omnivorous ground-feeder, with similar food-pattern as House Sparrow.