Cape Sparrow
Cape SparrowCape SparrowCape SparrowCape Sparrow

Cape Sparrow

Passer melanurus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Kruger National Park
101 Verified records at Kruger National Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The Cape sparrow (Passer melanurus), or mossie, is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae found in southern Africa. A medium-sized sparrow at 14–16 centimetres (5.5–6.3 in), it has distinctive plumage, including large pale head stripes in both sexes. Its plumage is mostly grey, brown, and chestnut, and the male has some bold black and white markings on its head and neck. The species inhabits semi-arid savannah, cultivated areas, and towns, and ranges from the central coast of Angola to eastern South Africa and Eswatini. Three subspecies are distinguished in different parts of its range. Cape sparrows primarily eat seeds, and also eat soft plant parts and insects. Wikipedia →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Sparrow sighting in Kruger National Park, based on 101 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Kruger National Park

Southern Gray-headed Sparrow
LC

Southern Gray-headed Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passer diffusus

40–50% · Likely
Great Rufous Sparrow
LC

Great Rufous Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passer motitensis

Insufficient data
Yellow-throated Sparrow
LC

Yellow-throated Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gymnoris superciliaris

5–10% · With luck
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
LC

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plocepasser mahali

<5% · Rare
Fork-tailed Drongo
LC

Fork-tailed Drongo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dicrurus adsimilis

60–70% · Likely
Common Bulbul
LC

Common Bulbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pycnonotus barbatus

50–60% · Likely
Red-billed Oxpecker

Red-billed Oxpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buphagus erythrorhynchus

50–60% · Likely
Blue-breasted Cordonbleu
LC

Blue-breasted Cordonbleu

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Uraeginthus angolensis

40–50% · Likely
Magpie Shrike

Magpie Shrike

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Urolestes melanoleucus

40–50% · Likely
Black-backed Puffback
LC

Black-backed Puffback

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dryoscopus cubla

40–50% · Likely
Burchell's Glossy-starling
LC

Burchell's Glossy-starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lamprotornis australis

40–50% · Likely
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
LC

Red-shouldered Glossy-starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lamprotornis nitens

40–50% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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

# Park Country Probability
1 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
60–70%
2 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
40–50%
3 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
4 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
5 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
6 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
5–10%
7 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
8 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
9 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
10 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
11 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
12 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Cape Sparrow in Kruger National Park?

About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Sparrow sighting in Kruger National Park, based on 101 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Cape Sparrow in Kruger National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Cape Sparrow in Kruger National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Kruger National Park