Great Rufous Sparrow
Passer motitensis
Silhouette: Andrew Butko (modified) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyPasseridae (Old World Sparrows)
- GenusPasser (True Sparrows)
- SpeciesPasser motitensis (Great Rufous Sparrow)
About the Great Rufous Sparrow
The great sparrow (Passer motitensis), also known as the southern rufous sparrow, is found in southern Africa in dry, wooded savannah and towns. This is a 15–16 cm long sparrow superficially like a large house sparrow. It has a grey crown and rear neck and rufous upperparts.
While in the past some authorities considered this species and several related species of 'rufous sparrow' on the African mainland to be the same as the Iago sparrow of Cape Verde, they do not appear to be so closely related as thought. A few currently recognise only some of the rufous sparrows as separate from the great sparrow, but the Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International recognise the Socotra sparrow, Kenya sparrow, Kordofan sparrow, and Shelley's sparrow as separate species.
Southern Rufous Sparrow at the Internet Bird Collection Great Sparrow species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Great Rufous Sparrow in Pilanesberg National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Pilanesberg National Park
Southern Gray-headed Sparrow
Passer diffusus
Cape Sparrow
Passer melanurus
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Yellow-throated Sparrow
Gymnoris superciliaris
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Pied Crow
Corvus albus
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis nitens
Southern Masked Weaver
Ploceus velatus
Crimson-breasted Gonolek
Laniarius atrococcineus
Red-winged Starling
Onychognathus morio
Arrow-marked Babbler
Turdoides jardineii
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 6 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 9 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Great Rufous Sparrow in Pilanesberg National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Great Rufous Sparrow sighting in Pilanesberg National Park, based on 46 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Great Rufous Sparrow in Pilanesberg National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Great Rufous Sparrow in Pilanesberg National Park in our monthly data.