Northern Grey-headed Sparrow
Passer griseus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyPasseridae (Passèrids)
- GenusPasser (True Sparrows)
- SpeciesPasser griseus (Northern Grey-headed Sparrow)
The northern grey-headed sparrow (Passer griseus), also known as the grey-headed sparrow, is a species of bird in the sparrow family Passeridae, which is resident in much of tropical Africa. It occurs in a wide range of open habitats, including open woodlands and human habitation, often occupying the same niche as the house sparrow does in Eurasia. The adult northern grey-headed sparrow has a pale grey head with a white moustache stripe, pale brown upperparts, whitish underparts and chestnut wings with a small white shoulder patch. The sexes are similar, but young birds are slightly duller and lack the white wing patch. There are three subspecies, differing in plumage tone, especially with regard to the darkness of the head. This sparrow is mainly resident in its range, but there is some seasonal movement, and flocks of up to 50 birds form outside the breeding season. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Grey-headed Sparrow sighting in Hwange National Park, based on 11 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Hwange National Park
Southern Gray-headed Sparrow
Passer diffusus
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Yellow-throated Sparrow
Gymnoris superciliaris
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Magpie Shrike
Urolestes melanoleucus
Arrow-marked Babbler
Turdoides jardineii
Southern White-crowned Shrike
Eurocephalus anguitimens
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Golden-breasted Bunting
Emberiza flaviventris
Meves's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis mevesii
Red-billed Oxpecker
Buphagus erythrorhynchus
Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
Bubalornis niger
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Grey-headed Sparrow in Hwange National Park?
About 2% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Grey-headed Sparrow sighting in Hwange National Park, based on 11 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northern Grey-headed Sparrow in Hwange National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Northern Grey-headed Sparrow in Hwange National Park in our monthly data.