Passer moabiticus
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| Photo by Daniele Occhiato (PBase) |
Common name:
Dead Sea sparrow (en); pardal-do-Mar Morto (pt); moineau de la mer Morte (fr); gorrión del Mar Muerto (es); moabsperling (de)
Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Passeridae
Range:
This species is patchily distributed, from Israel and Turkey, across the Middle East, and into Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Size:
The Dead Sea sparrow is 12-13 cm long and has a wingspan of 19-20 cm. They weigh 18 g.
Habitat:
These birds are found in arid, open areas, mostly scrubland, thick scrub, tamarisk and very sparse woodlands. They are typically found near watercourses or pools.
Diet:
They mostly eat the seeds of grasses, but also of tamarisk and papirus, and will also eat some insects.
Breeding:
Dead Sea sparrows breed in March-July. The nest is a bulky, open globular or cone-shaped structure built of stiff dry twigs, finely interwoven around the branches of a tree, lined with a thick pad of plant down, seed panicles, fibres, and feathers. There the female lays 4-5 ground-coloured eggs with brown spots. The eggs are incubated for 9-16 days and the chicks fledge 11-13 days after hatching. Each pair my produce 2-3 broods per year.
Conservation:
IUCN status – LC (Least Concern)
This species has a patchy and relatively restricted breeding range. The global population is estimated at 11.000-180.000 individuals and is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.
