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24

Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) Alternate name(s): "Willow Sparrow" German name(s): "Spanischer Sperling" Size: 15-16 cm; wing span: 21-22.5 cm Weight: 22-36 g

Europe: Family Group 24 Family Group 24 Table White Wagtail Western Yellow Wagtail Grey Wagtail Tawny Pipit Berthelot's Pipit Red-throated Pipit Tree Pipit Meadow Pipit Water Pipit Eurasian Rock Pipit Greater Short-toed Lark Calandra Lark Woodlark Eurasian Skylark Bearded Reedling House Sparrow Tree Sparrow Spanish Sparrow Rock Sparrow Trumpeter Finch European Serin Atlantic Canary Red-fronted Serin Eurasian Siskin Common Redpoll Arctic Redpoll Common Linnet Brambling Common Chaffinch European Goldfinch Eurasian Bullfinch Hawfinch Common Crossbill Common Rosefinch Yellowhammer Cirl Bunting Common Reed Bunting Ortolan Bunting Black-headed Bunting Corn Bunting Rock Bunting House Bunting Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Spanish Sparrows are small, but sturdily-built finch-like birds. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. There are some differences in morphology between the two races; for details see a field guide. During the breeding season male Spanish Sparrows, nominate race "hispaniolensis", have a reddish-brown crown and nape of the neck. Black eye stripes disect the otherwise white sides of the head. Chin and upper chest are black, with a bold black streak pattern down the chest and sides. The rest of the front is light-grey. The back and the mantle are also boldly streaked black on grey, while the wings have some brown on both the flight feathers and the coverts, with a prominent white wing bar. In eclipse the streaking becomes much less prominent, turning grey instead of black (on both front and back). Also the black chin and chest patch gives way to grey streaks. The sides of the head become duller and the crown and nape of the neck turn brownish-grey. Female Spanish Sparrows are duller than males in eclipse, with grey sides to the head, rather than white. The rest of the head is slightly darker grey, as are the eye stripes. Some females show signs of faint darker grey streaking on a mid-grey front. Both sexes have black irises and pinkish-grey legs and feet. The bill is grey, in females usually with a horn-coloured base and/or lower mandible. Juvenile Spanish Sparrows have plainer colours yet than adult females.

Taxonomy, classification See Spanish Sparrow at Wikipedia . NB: The name of the family of sparrows, "Passer", is used in the definition of passerine vs. non-passerine birds.

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Spanish Sparrow is available HERE . There are two races of Spanish Sparrows are a partly migratory species. Nominate race "hispaniolensis" breeds in an area spanning from the islands off the African West coast (Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira), to north-western and parts of northern Africa and south-eastern Iberia. They are also found on Sardinia and there is a separate breeding population in south-eastern Europe. This race winters in northern Africa, up to several hundreds of kilometres inland from the North coast. Race "transcaspicus" breeds in an area spanning from the eastern half of Asia Minor, via the southern coastline of the Caspian Sea, into central Asia. This race winters in an area from the Nile river valley, via the Middle East, around the Persian Gulf on into Afghanistan, northern Pakistan and north-western India. In Europe, Spanish Sparrows, race "hispaniolensis", are found in parts of south-eastern Spain, in Sardinia and in the area from the southern Balkans and Greece to the West coast of the Black Sea. Although in large parts of its range cohabiting with House Sparrows, the Spanish Sparrow generally has a preference for somewhat moister habitats in open woodland, agricultural land and also urban environments.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "hispaniolensis" J. Pires reports spotting Spanish Sparrows, race "hispaniolensis", regularly in southern to central Portugal, e.g. in Mora, Evora. The species was also found by J. Pires at Embalse de Los Canchales, near Montijo, Spain, in December 2019. D. Wilczynska reports spotting Spanish Sparrows, race "hispaniolensis", in various locations around Sardinia, Italy, in June 2016.

Photos

Race "hispaniolensis"

ADULT

MALE

BREEDING

Frontal view of a male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Canary Islands, March 2017]

Frontal view of a male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage; note the particularly large black bib and lateral streaking
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Pula, south-western Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Near-frontal view of a male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Canary Islands, March 2017]

Lateral view of a male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Bari Sardo, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Pula, south-western Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Partly obscured lateral/ventral view of a male Spanish Sparrow shaking out its plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2015]

Dorsal view of a male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Canary Islands, March 2017]

Lateral view of a male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage launching itself into the air (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2015]

Lateral view of a male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage departing after feeding its chicks (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2014]

Dorsal view of a male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2023]

NON-BREEDING

Near-lateral view of a male Spanish Sparrow in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Embalse de Los Canchales, near Montijo, Spain, December 2019]

Lateral view of a male Spanish Sparrow, still in non-breeding plumage in March (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2020]

Lateral view of a male Spanish Sparrow in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2019]

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female Spanish Sparrow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Posada Nu, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Lateral view of a female Spanish Sparrow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Posada Nu, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

PAIR

BREEDING

Near-lateral view of a pair of Spanish Sparrows, male (left) in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2019]

NON-BREEDING

Lateral view of a pair of Spanish Sparrows, male (left) in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Spanish Sparrows, male (below) in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2014]

Pair of preening Spanish Sparrows, male in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2014]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Spanish Sparrow; note the short, tapered tail (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[San Giovanni di Sinis Or, southern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Mar(?) - ?

Eggs: 3 - 8

Incubation period: ca. 12 days

Fledging age: ca. 14 days

Spanish Sparrows are highly gregarious colonial nesters. Breeding colonies can be as large as hundreds of thousands of birds.

The breeding season depends on geographical latitude and climatic conditions.

Pair of Spanish Sparrows working on the next generation (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2018]

All have one thing in mind - procreation... (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2015]

Nest

Type: (Domed) basket, hollow

Material: Twigs, roots, grass, leaves, feathers

Height above ground: ?

Pair of Spanish Sparrows near the entrance to their nest in the understorey of a White Stork nest (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2018]

There is a lot of space for Spanish Sparrows nests under a White Stork nest (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2017]

Male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage collecting nesting material (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Canary Islands, March 2017]

Male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage marking its territory from the entrance to its nesting hollow; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 15 March 2017 (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Canary Islands, March 2017]

Male Spanish Sparrow in breeding plumage bringing food for its chicks (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Female Spanish Sparrow at the entrance of its nest, inside a disused chimney (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Eggs

Size: 21 x 15 mm

Colour: White, with light- to mid-grey speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Spanish Sparrows are very sociable birds and are often found in - possibly very large - flocks.

Flock of Spanish Sparrows, with males in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2019]

Food, Diet

Spanish Sparrows are omnivores, with a preference for grain and insects. During the breeding season an ample supply of insects is required for feeding the young, but also for the females to build up energy.

Spanish Sparrows feeding on seeds (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2013]

Lateral view of a male Spanish Sparrow in non-breeding plumage with what looks like a blade of grass
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2021]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

spnspar_jp_20200319.m4a	hispaniolensis (Portugal)	Contact calls(?)	© JP
spnspar_jp_20200324_2.m4a	hispaniolensis (Portugal)	Contact calls(?), mob	© JP
spnspar_jp_20200324_3.m4a	hispaniolensis (Portugal)	Contact calls(?), mob	© JP
spnspar_dw_20170315.m4a	hispaniolensis (Canary Islands)	Territorial calls(?); male	© DW
spnspar_jp_20200324.m4a	hispaniolensis (Portugal)	Group chatter, mob	© JP
spnspar_jp_20180607.m4a	hispaniolensis (Portugal)	Group chatter, mob	© JP
spnspar_jp_20200615.m4a	hispaniolensis (Portugal)	Various (mob)	© JP

More Spanish Sparrow sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

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