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Rock Sparrow
(Petronia petronia)
German name(s): "Steinsperling", "Steinsperling-petronia"
Size: 15-17 cm
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Rock Sparrows are small, but sturdily-built finch-like birds.
Their plumage is
cryptic and
the two sexes look alike.
Their head pattern, with a pale median crown stripe, dark-brown
stripes next to that, contrasting against a creamy supercilium
and again a dark eye-stripe on the upper fringe of the ear
coverts, is more similar to those of various species of
buntings,
rather than other species of
sparrows.
However, the large, conical bill is more finch-like, rather
than bunting-style.
The front is heavily streaked olive-grey on off-white, while
the back and wings are variegated brown/dark-grey.
The irises are dark; legs and feet are greyish-orange.
Juvenile
Rock Sparrows have a paler, more orange-brown crown than
adults
and an entirely horn-coloured bill .
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Rock
Sparrow at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based
on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to the
ebird.org
website.
The global distribution of the Spanish Sparrow is available
HERE
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There are 7 extant races of Rock Sparrows, with a combined
range spanning from Madeira, the Canary Islands, north-western
Africa and Iberia in the West, via Asia Minor, parts of the
Middle East and south-western Asia, to Mongolia and central and
north-eastern China in the East.
In the western part of their range they are sedentary, while
the Asian populations tend to migrate, either North-South or
down to lower elevation in winter.
In Europe, Rock Sparrows, race "petronia",
are found in large parts of Iberia, in south-western France,
southern Italy, southern Greece and the major western
Mediterranean islands, i.e. the Balearic island group,
Sardinia, Corsica and Sicily.
As their name suggests, Rock Sparrows have a strong preference
for any kind of rocky or stony habitat, such as rock faces or
ravines in mountainous terrain or wadis, rocky (semi-)desert
at lower elevations. They also use quarries or ruins and even
occupied buildings, as long as there are rock/wall surfaces
with cracks.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "petronia"
J. Pires reports spotting Rock Sparrows,
race "petronia",
regularly in the area around Mora, Evora, Portugal.
All sighting, photographic and audio information presented on this page
has kindly been contributed by J. Pires.
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Photos |
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Race "petronia"
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ADULT |
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Frontal view of a Rock Sparrow
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2013]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a Rock Sparrow
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2014]
Lateral view of a Rock Sparrow
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2014]
Near-dorsal view of a Rock Sparrow
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2015]
Two Rock Sparrows
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2014]
Flock of huddling Rock Sparrows
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2014]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Lateral view of a juvenile Rock Sparrow; note the pale
cap and bill
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2018]
Small group of Rock Sparrows, with a juvenile at top right
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2018]
Rock Sparrows are very sociable birds and are often found in
- possibly very large - flocks.
Small group of Rock Sparrows preening collectively
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Portugal, March 2019]
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Food, Diet |
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Rock Sparrows are mostly seed-eaters, but they will also take
fruit and also invertebrates, which they also feed to their
young.
Rock Sparrows feeding in grain stubble
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2014]
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
More Rock Sparrow sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
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These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.