Sparrow

Sparrow
Sparrows
A male House Sparrow
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Superfamily: Passeroidea
Family: Passeridae
Illiger, 1811
Genera

Passer
Petronia
Carpospiza
Montifringilla

The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer. As eight or more species nest in or near buildings, and the House Sparrow and Eurasian Tree Sparrow in particular inhabit cities in large numbers, sparrows may be the most familiar of all wild birds.[1]

Contents

Description

Generally, sparrows tend to be small, plump brown-grey birds with short tails and stubby, powerful beaks. The differences between sparrow species can be subtle. They are primarily seed-eaters, though they also consume small insects. A few species scavenge for food around cities and, like gulls or pigeons, will happily eat virtually anything in small quantities. Members of this family range in size from the Chestnut Sparrow (Passer eminibey), at 11.4 centimetres (4.5 in) and 13.4 grams (0.47 oz), to the Parrot-billed Sparrow (Passer gongonensis), at 18 centimetres (7.1 in) and 42 grams (1.5 oz). Sparrows are physically similar to other seed-eating birds, such as finches, but have a vestigial dorsal outer primary feather and an extra bone in the tongue.[2][3]

Taxonomy

A sparrow chick in Italy

Some authorities previously classified the related estrildid finches of the Old World tropics and Australasia as members of the Passeridae.[4] Like sparrows, the estrildid finches are small, gregarious and often colonial seed-eaters with short, thick, but pointed bills. They are broadly similar in structure and habits, but tend to be very colourful and vary greatly in their plumage. There are about 140 species. The 2008 Christidis and Boles taxonomic scheme lists the estrildid finches as the separate family Estrildidae, leaving just the true sparrows in Passeridae.[4]

Despite some resemblance such as the seed-eater's bill and frequently well-marked heads, American sparrows, or New World sparrows, are members of a different family, Emberizidae, which also includes the buntings.[5] The Hedge Sparrow or Dunnock (Prunella modularis) is similarly unrelated. It is a sparrow in name only, a relict of the old practice of calling more types of small birds "sparrows".[6]

Species

This is a list of sparrow species:[5]

Distribution

The sparrows are indigenous to Europe, Africa and Asia. In Australia and the Americas, early settlers imported some species which quickly naturalised, particularly in urban and degraded areas. House Sparrows, for example, are now found throughout North America, in every state of Australia except Western Australia, and over much of the heavily populated parts of South America.[5]

See also

  • Great Sparrow Campaign

References

  1. ^ Clement, Peter; Colston, P. R. (2003). "Sparrows and Snowfinches". In Perrins, Christopher. The Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds. Firefly Books. pp. 590–591. ISBN 1-55297-777-3. 
  2. ^ Bledsoe, A. H.; Payne, R. B. (1991). Forshaw, Joseph. ed. Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. pp. 222. ISBN 1-85391-186-0. 
  3. ^ Clement, Peter; Harris, Alan; Davis, John (1993). Finches and Sparrows: an Identification Guide. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-03424-9. 
  4. ^ a b Christidis & Boles 2008, p. 177
  5. ^ a b c Summers-Smith, J. Denis (2009). "Family Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)". In del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Christie, David. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-96553-50-7. 
  6. ^ Summers-Smith 1988, p. 13
Works cited
  • Christidis, L.; Boles, W. E. (2008). Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Canberra: CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 9780643065116. 
  • Summers-Smith, J. Denis (1988). The Sparrows. illustrated by Robert Gillmor. Calton, Staffs, England: T. & A. D. Poyser. ISBN 0-85661-048-8. 

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sparrow — Spar row, n. [OE. sparwe, AS. spearwa; akin to OHG. sparo, G. sperling, Icel. sp[ o]rr, Dan. spurv, spurre, Sw. sparf, Goth. sparwa; originally, probably, the quiverer or flutterer, and akin to E. spurn. See {Spurn}, and cf. {Spavin}.] 1. (Zo[… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sparrow — (englisch für Sperling) ist der Name einer US amerikanischen Luft Luft und Boden Luft Rakete, siehe AIM 7 Sparrow und RIM 7 Sea Sparrow ein Film von Johnnie To, siehe The Sparrow der Name der ersten kraweelbeplankten Karacke in Europa im Dienste… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Sparrow — (en cantonais : 文雀, Man jeuk) est une comédie policière hongkongaise de Johnnie To sortie en 2008. Tourné sur trois ans entre 2005 et 2008, le film met en scène les acteurs « habituels » du réalisateur, Simon Yam, Kelly Lin et… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • sparrow — [spar′ō] n. [ME sparwe < OE spearwa, akin to MHG sparwe < IE base * sper , bird name, esp. for sparrow > Gr sporgilos, sparrow, psar, starling] 1. any of a family (Passeridae) of Old World passerine birds, including the English sparrow 2 …   English World dictionary

  • SPARROW — (Heb. צִפּוֹר דְּרוֹר, ẓippor deror or דְּרוֹר, deror, but sometimes the word ẓippor bird refers to the sparrow), the Passer domesticus biblicus, the house sparrow, which is the most common bird in Israel during all seasons of the years. It… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • sparrow — (n.) small brownish gray bird, O.E. spearwa, from P.Gmc. *sparwan (Cf. O.N. spörr, O.H.G. sparo, Ger. Sperling, Goth. sparwa), from PIE *sper (Cf. Cornish frau crow; O.Prus. spurglis sparrow; Gk. spergoulos small field bird …   Etymology dictionary

  • sparrow — ► NOUN ▪ a small bird with brown and grey plumage. ORIGIN Old English …   English terms dictionary

  • sparrow — sparrowless, adj. sparrowlike, adj. /spar oh/, n. 1. any of numerous American finches of the family Emberizinae. Cf. chipping sparrow, song sparrow. 2. any member of the Old World genus Passer, formerly thought to be closely related to the… …   Universalium

  • sparrow — noun Etymology: Middle English sparow, from Old English spearwa; akin to Old High German sparo sparrow Date: before 12th century 1. any of a genus (Passer of the family Passeridae) of small chiefly brownish or grayish Old World oscine songbirds… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • sparrow — n. 1 any small brownish grey bird of the genus Passer, esp. the house sparrow and tree sparrow. 2 any of various birds of similar appearance such as the hedge sparrow. Phrases and idioms: sparrow grass dial. or colloq. asparagus. Etymology: OE… …   Useful english dictionary

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