Parrot-billed Sparrow

Passer domesticus

Other Names

    Moineau domestique   Haussperling   Gorrión Común   Gråsparv   Huismus   Passera europea

World: Africa - Endemic to NE Africa including Kenya, W Uganda, the extreme SE Sudan, S Ethiopia, S Somalia and NE Tanzania.

Kenya: Mostly found E of the Rift Valley from Lake Turkana, through the coastal lowlands to the border with Tanzania.

This is one of four distinct species of Grey-headed Sparrows found in Kenya. Some authorities treat them as subspecies of Passer griseus. It is a ground feeder whose diet primarily consists of seeds but it will also take insects as well as some scraps from bird tables. Although it is a common sight on bird tables in and around lodges, it tends to be less confiding than other Grey-headed Sparrows. It occurs in open scrub and arid thorn bush, avoiding dense woodland, but in Tsavo National Park it also occurs widely in riverine habitats. It is generally seen in pairs or small groups.