About Passer swainsonii (Rüppell, 1840)
Swainson's sparrow, scientifically named Passer swainsonii (Rüppell, 1840), reaches a body length of 16 centimetres (6.3 in). It has no conspicuous sexual dimorphism. It is often classified as a subspecies (race) of the grey-headed sparrow, but is typically darker, especially on the head and shoulders. It has a white bar on the shoulder, though this marking is not always visible. Similarly, its pale chestnut tail and rump are not always visible either. This sparrow occurs in the highlands of Ethiopia and Somalia, as well as parts of Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Kenya. It is common across most of its range, excluding the far western portion. Some of its populations undertake seasonal migrations. Its natural habitats include mountainous areas, marshes, open forest, savannas, and shrubby grasslands, but it is most often found in and around human settlements. In Eritrea, it mostly lives on open plateaus at 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) above sea level. In Ethiopia, it occurs at altitudes between 1,200–4,500 metres (3,900–14,800 ft) above sea level, and it is the common sparrow found in Ethiopian towns, filling an ecological role similar to that of the house sparrow across most of Eurasia.
