Parrot-billed Sparrow

Parrot beak sparrow

The parrot beak sparrow (Passer gongonensis ) is a species of bird in the family of sparrows. The species is found exclusively in East Africa. Some authors are of the opinion that it is a subspecies of the gray-headed sparrow in the parrot's beak sparrow.

The IUCN classifies the parrot's beak sparrow as a not at risk ( least concern ).

Appearance

The parrot beak sparrow reaches a body length of 18 centimeters. He is bigger than others, occurring in Africa gray -headed sparrows such as the Grey-headed Sparrow, or Swainsonsperling. It differs from these, among others, by the bulkier, rounder beak.

The head of the parrot's beak sparrow is medium gray. On the sides of the neck and on the mantle plumage colouration changes into a brownish gray. The back, rump and upper tail-coverts are chestnut brown. The tail feathers are dark brown with narrow red-brown seams. The region between the beak and the eye approach is dark gray-brown, the ear-coverts are somewhat brighter. The cheeks, the throat, the chest and the legs are pale gray-brown with a lighter region in the center of the chin and throat. The under tail-coverts are also pale gray-brown. The beak is horn colored blackish, the eyes are brown and flesh-colored legs.

Young birds resemble the adult birds, but the head and the shell are brownish, the rump is more ocher and the upper mandible is still brown.

Dissemination

The parrot beak sparrow is endemic to East Africa. To its distribution area is the extreme south-east of Sudan, where he is not however very frequently. The species also occurs in Uganda, in the south of Ethiopia and Somalia, and in the north- eastern Tanzania. The distribution area covers a total of 611,000 square kilometers.

Habitat

The habitat of the parrot's beak sparrows is the open, marbled with thorn bushes loosely lined with bushes and savanna grasslands. They also occur in the vicinity of human settlements, are here, however, less common than other gray -headed sparrow species to be found. The altitudinal distribution of the parrot's beak sparrows ranges from sea level to altitudes of 2000 meters.

Way of life

Parrot beak sparrows occur predominantly in pairs or in small groups of four to six individuals. Occasionally, they also occur in groups 20 to 30 individuals. They are generally averse than other gray -headed sparrow species and although looking around villages for food, but are rarely seen in the villages. You are looking mainly on the ground for food, foraging mainly takes place in the early morning and late evening hours. For several years, parrot beak sparrows are increasingly also in the vicinity of lodges and picnic areas in wildlife reserves in order to look for food residues.

The diet consists mainly of grass seeds and insects. The nest is built as an open nest in trees and shrubs and occasionally in holes of baobab trees. Regardless of the location of the nest plant, it always is basically a ball nest with side entrance. The nest is not particularly carefully built; the outside unprocessed nesting material usually hangs loose. Occasionally the parrot's beak sparrow also uses abandoned nests of other birds.

The nest usually consists of two eggs, these are off-white with numerous red-brown spots and gray. The breeding season falls in Ethiopia in the period from December to March and May. In Somalia, the birds breed in June, September and November. The breeding season usually falls in the rainy season or in the period immediately after the rainy season. However, they also breed during the dry season, if there are near irrigated fields.