Passer suahelicus Reichenow, 1904

Open encyclopedia reference

The Swahili sparrow (Passer suahelicus) is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It lives in the savanna of southern Kenya and Tanzania. Until recently, it was usually treated as a subspecies of the northern grey-headed sparrow (Passer griseus), with which it hybridizes in southern Tanzania and possibly elsewhere. It has a more rounded head profile however, a smaller eye and the grey head plumage extends unto the mantle.

In addition to the subtle physical characteristics, the Swahili sparrow also differs from the northern grey-headed sparrow in terms of habitat preference, nest construction and post-breeding behaviour. They build grass nests in Acacia trees in dry regions, and generally avoid moister coastal lowlands or uplands. Following the breeding season they form nomadic flocks, and the bill colour will change from black to horn-coloured. They may nest in the proximity of northern grey-headed sparrow, but not on buildings, and may be found beside individuals of the latter species as they disperse onto farmland.

Wikipedia contributors, Swahili sparrow; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T14:06:25.083925+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Passer suahelicus Reichenow, 1904

Name authority

Reichenow, 1904

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Passeridae

Genus

Passer

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classAves
9. orderPasseriformes
10. familyPasseridae Rafinesque, 1815
11. genusPasser Brisson, 1760
12. speciesPasser suahelicus Reichenow, 1904

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Passer. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 46 records assigned to Passeridae.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=916520 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:4DXYB. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.