Photo: Derek Keats / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Sparrow
Passer motitensis
Great Sparrow (Passer motitensis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found on 1 guide in our atlas — open it for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Sparrow (Passer motitensis) is a member of the Passeridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 30.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Passeridae Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
- Genus Passer
- Species motitensis
Where it lives
Southern African acacia savanna: coastal south-central Angola, Namibia, Botswana and southwestern Zimbabwe south to northern South Africa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 30.2 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Passeridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Sparrow is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Great Sparrow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Great Sparrow (Passer motitensis) is a species of bird in the Passeridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF s African acacia savanna: coastal sc Angola, Namibia, Botswana and sw Zimbabwe s to n South Africa.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 30.2 g, with a wing length of about 7.8 cm and a tail of around 5.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Sparrow?
The Great Sparrow is a small bird that weighs around 30.2 g.
Where does the Great Sparrow live?
The Great Sparrow is found across Africa with a range covering AF s African acacia savanna: coastal sc Angola, Namibia, Botswana and sw Zimbabwe s to n South Africa, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Great Sparrow belong to?
The Great Sparrow (Passer motitensis) belongs to the Passeridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Great Sparrow eat?
The Great Sparrow is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Great Sparrow migrate?
The Great Sparrow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Great Sparrow endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great Sparrow make?
1 real field recording of the Great Sparrow — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Sparrow's range?
The Great Sparrow has a mapped global range of about 1.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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