Desert Sparrow
Species: Sparrow
Latin name: Passer simplex
English name: Desert Sparrow
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passeridae
Description:
The adult male has pale beige-grey plumage; its lores and bib are black and clearly defined. Its cheeks are white, as are its wing bars and the edges of its flight feathers.
The female is more inconspicuous, predominantly pale russet. The wing bars are beige with white along the edges of the flight feathers. The female lacks a bib. Her head, neck and back are russet brown.
Juveniles resemble the female and are predominantly russet in their immature plumage.
Young males have a brown patch on the back and nape in their first year.
It should be noted that sand sparrows are much paler in their natural habitat due to their exposure to the sun. The females are particularly pale and a joy to observe.
The subspecies Passer simplex zarudnyi is distinguished by a predominantly greyer colour from the forehead to the rump in the male. The female is also grey with a bib and a blackish-brown eye ring. This subspecies is smaller than the nominal form.You can find a full article on breeding this magnificent sparrow in the ‘Articles’ section or by clicking on the link on this page.
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