Cape Sparrow: how to recognise it
A bird of Africa. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Jenny Donald · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Passer melanurus
- Family
- Old World Sparrows
- Size
- About 15 cm
- Habitat
- Savanna, farmland and towns
- Found in
- Africa
The key marks
The male has a black head with a white stripe curving from the eye round the neck, a chestnut back and a grey rump. House Sparrow males have a grey crown and a black bib instead; the female is grey-brown with a pale eyebrow.
Voice
A simple series of cheerful chirps, much like a House Sparrow.
Good to know
It feeds on seeds in flocks and often nests in holes or in old nests of other birds.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the House Sparrow. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in savanna, farmland and towns. It is especially common in South Africa. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.