Photo: מינוזיג / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spanish Sparrow
Passer hispaniolensis
Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) is a member of the Passeridae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 24.2 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 hispaniolensis
Where it lives
Southern temperate to subtropical southwestern, south-central Palearctic in riparian and cultivated areas: Madeira, Canary and Cape Verde Is. (Macaronesia, northwestern, west of northern Africa), patchily from Iberian Pen., Sardinia, Greece, Balkans, Cyprus and Turkey through southern Kazakhstan and northwestern Xinjiang (northwestern China), in south from northern Morocco through northern Libya, Israel, northern, central Arabian Pen., Iran and Afghanistan
Quick facts
- Weight
- 24.2 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Passeridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spanish 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 Spanish Sparrow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) belongs to the Passeridae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL s temperate to subtropical sw, sc Palearctic in riparian and cultivated areas: Madeira, Canary and Cape Verde Is. (Macaronesia, nw, w of n Africa), patchily from Iberian Pen., Sardinia, Greece, Balkans, Cyprus and Turkey through s Kazakhstan and nw Xinjiang (nw China), in s from n Morocco through n Libya, Israel, n, c Arabian Pen., Iran and Afghanistan.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 24.2 g, with a wing length of about 7.6 cm and a tail of around 5.5 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 4.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spanish Sparrow?
The Spanish Sparrow is a small bird that weighs around 24.2 g.
Where does the Spanish Sparrow live?
The Spanish Sparrow is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL s temperate to subtropical sw, sc Palearctic in riparian and cultivated areas: Madeira, Canary and Cape Verde Is. (Macaronesia, nw, w of n Africa), patchily from Iberian Pen., Sardinia, Greece, Balkans, Cyprus and Turkey through s Kazakhstan and nw Xinjiang (nw China), in s from n Morocco through n Libya, Israel, n, c Arabian Pen., Iran and Afghanistan, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spanish Sparrow belong to?
The Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) belongs to the Passeridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spanish Sparrow eat?
The Spanish Sparrow is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Spanish Sparrow migrate?
The Spanish Sparrow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spanish 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 Spanish Sparrow make?
1 real field recording of the Spanish Sparrow — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Spanish Sparrow's range?
The Spanish Sparrow has a mapped global range of about 4.2 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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