Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Parrot-billed Sparrow
Passer gongonensis
Parrot-billed Sparrow (Passer gongonensis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Parrot-billed Sparrow (Passer gongonensis) is a member of the Passeridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 39.9 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 gongonensis
Where it lives
Northeastern African semiarid open country to wooded savanna: southeastern South Sudan, southern Ethiopia and central Somalia south through eastern Uganda, Kenya and far northern Tanzania
Quick facts
- Weight
- 39.9 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Passeridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Parrot-billed Sparrow is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Parrot-billed Sparrow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Parrot-billed Sparrow (Passer gongonensis) is a species of bird in the Passeridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF ne African semiarid open country to wooded savanna: se South Sudan, s Ethiopia and c Somalia s through e Uganda, Kenya and far n Tanzania.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 39.9 g, with a wing length of about 9.5 cm and a tail of around 6.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Parrot-billed Sparrow?
The Parrot-billed Sparrow is a small bird that weighs around 39.9 g.
Where does the Parrot-billed Sparrow live?
The Parrot-billed Sparrow is found across Africa with a range covering AF ne African semiarid open country to wooded savanna: se South Sudan, s Ethiopia and c Somalia s through e Uganda, Kenya and far n Tanzania, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Parrot-billed Sparrow belong to?
The Parrot-billed Sparrow (Passer gongonensis) belongs to the Passeridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Parrot-billed Sparrow eat?
The Parrot-billed Sparrow is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Parrot-billed Sparrow migrate?
The Parrot-billed Sparrow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Parrot-billed 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 Parrot-billed Sparrow make?
1 real field recording of the Parrot-billed 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 Parrot-billed Sparrow's range?
The Parrot-billed Sparrow has a mapped global range of about 1.1 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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