Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia Scientific name definitions

14–15·5 cm; 26–39 g. Stout sparrow with short, square tail and robust bill ; in flight, broad wings and short, white-tipped tail characteristic. Nominate race is mainly greyish-brown, heavily streaked darker brown above and below; head boldly striped , with pale crown, dark brown lateral crownstripe , and conspicuous buffy-white stripe extending back from eye and bordered below by dark line behind eye; upperparts brown with darker brown streaking; tail with white spots on tip; whitish below, inconspicuous yellow spot on lower throat (not easy to see in field), underparts streaked grey-brown; iris dark brown; bill horn to dark brown above, almost entirely horn-yellow below; legs pale brown or pinkish-brown. Sexes alike. Juvenile is browner than adult, duller below, lacks yellow throat spot. Race <em>barbara</em> is paler and greyer than nominate; <em>exigua</em> is intermediate between nominate and previous; <em>puteicola</em> is larger than nominate, palest race, streaking on underparts much less obvious; <em>intermedia</em> is intermediate between nominate and last; <em>brevirostris</em> has shorter and heavier bill.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Generally bare treeless country, ranging from flat desert steppe to rocky slopes and ravines at up to 4800 m; in Spain, common in open woodland or parkland, e.g. of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster). Frequently forages in large open areas of cultivation, vineyards, olive groves, near old buildings and even penetrates into human settlements .

Resident and partial migrant; some post-breeding dispersal and withdrawal to lower altitudes in winter. Race intermedia found in winter also in S Afghanistan, Kashmir and N Pakistan.

Mainly seeds of low herbs and grasses, also small berries; in breeding season also animal matter, e.g. termites (Isoptera) and beetles (Coleoptera), taking larger prey than do members of Passer. Nestlings fed mainly with invertebrates , especially caterpillars of Lepidoptera and grasshoppers (Orthoptera). Food collected mostly on the ground , but some insects caught in flight. In pairs and in small flocks, often in larger flocks.

Noisy  . Large variety of mainly disyllabic, rather nasal calls , e.g. "pee-yee" or "jee-wee"; song a loose collection of up to 50 varied call notes. Threat a chattering "terrettettet", similar to that of Passer domesticus.

Season Mar–Aug; two broods. In loose colonies and isolated pairs. Nest an untidy structure, sometimes domed, made from grass, lined with feathers, animal hair and wool, placed in crack or crevice in rock or tree, or in wall or roof of isolated and ruined building, occasionally in occupied building, material filling cavity in which nest built. Clutch 4–7 eggs, occasionally 8; incubation by female only, period 11–14 days; chicks fed by female, male sometimes taking minor role, nestling period 18–19 days.

Not globally threatened. Common. European population in 1980s estimated at c. 1,000,000 pairs, mostly in Spain, where breeding densities of 1·6 birds/10 ha in uncultivated land but merely 0·02 birds/10 ha in cropland; highest densities (up to 1·73 birds/10 ha) in open woodland/parkland. Recent contraction from N parts of range, although Spanish population thought to be stable during late 1990s; decrease in numbers in Madeira and Canary Is, the latter presumed to be result of competition from introduced Passer hispaniolensis; probably increasing in Balkans.