Title:

Tip of the iceberg: hybrid Cape Sparrow and Great Sparrow in Namibia

Author(s):
Publication Year:
2016
Abstract:

In December 2014 we caught and ringed a male sparrow (ring CV35323) with features both of Cape Sparrow and Great Sparrow on the farm Sphinxblick in Namibia at 2224S 1530E. It had a dark grey crown, black in Cape Sparrow; crown framed on both sides by pale rufous sides to the neck, darker in Great and white in Cape Sparrow; grey cheeks with black spots, which are white in Great and black in Cape Sparrow; a strong black throat patch from Great Sparrow, but no black breast band as in Cape Sparrow. The upper back showed some streaking, prominent in Great and absent in Cape Sparrow (see Figure 10, 11 and 12). The bird was aged as an adult mainly by the fully developed white fringes of the greater wing coverts and the bill which is black all year in Great and turns black in Cape Sparrow for the breeding season (Hockey et al. 2005; Peacock 2012, p. 268 - 271).

Publication Title:

Biodiversity Observations

Volume:
7
Issue:
82
Pages:
1-6
Item Type:
Journal Article
Language:
en