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 →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Grey-headed Sparrow sighting in Mkomazi National Park, based on 35 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Mkomazi National Park
Parrot-billed Sparrow
Passer gongonensis
Swahili Sparrow
Passer suahelicus
Chestnut Sparrow
Passer eminibey
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Yellow-spotted Petronia
Gymnoris pyrgita
Black-capped Social-Weaver
Pseudonigrita cabanisi
Rufous-tailed Weaver
Histurgops ruficauda
Gray-headed Social-Weaver
Pseudonigrita arnaudi
Usambara Double-collared Sunbird
Cinnyris usambaricus
African Dusky Flycatcher
Muscicapa adusta
Black Sawwing
Psalidoprocne pristoptera
Bar-throated Apalis
Apalis thoracica
📅 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 Mkomazi National Park?
About 11% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Grey-headed Sparrow sighting in Mkomazi National Park, based on 35 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northern Grey-headed Sparrow in Mkomazi National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Northern Grey-headed Sparrow in Mkomazi National Park in our monthly data.