Passer diffusus
The Southern Grey-headed Sparrow inhabits savanna, woodlands, plantations, agricultural areas and suburbs where it feeds mainly on seeds, fruit, nectar and insects and is often seen in association with other kinds of seed-eating birds, including the very similar Cape Sparrow. Grey-headed Sparrows weigh about 24g and grow to around 15cm in length.
Pairs are monogamous and usually breed well away from others of their kind, although they do form flocks outside the breeding season. Both parents work together to construct the nest, a simple aggregation of matted grass, leaves, stems, hair and feathers in holes in trees, under roofs or in the abandoned nests of other birds. The breeding season stretches from spring to autumn, reaching a peak in summer. The parents take turns to incubate the clutch of 2-6 eggs over a period of 2 weeks. The chicks leave the nest at between 2 and 3 weeks old and remain dependent on their parents for another 3 weeks or so thereafter.
In South Africa, Grey-headed Sparrows can be found in all provinces, representing a rapid range expansion aided by their ability to exploit human habitations for food and nesting. Today, Southern Grey-headed Sparrows are only absent from portions of the arid Northern Cape. Apart from South Africa they are also found in Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania. The IUCN considers this species to be of least concern.
Joubert got these Grey-headed Sparrows fighting in Satara
DeWetsWild 
What lovely little birds. Great shots and info, de Wets. 🙂
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Thank you very much, Jane!
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Dit lyk of mannetjie en wyfie nie vreeslik verskil nie?
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Heeltemal reg, Ineke – nie genoeg van n verskil dat ek dit kan agterkom nie.
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Mens sal seker die manier van hofmaak kan gebruik om te weet wie die mannetjie is. Ons het hierdie week tuinvoël tel week. y moet een dag heerlik rustig buite vir n uur gaan sit. Kyk en skryf neer watter voëls sien jy in die uur. Ook kan jy voël gelude aanteken. Hul doen dit elke jaar eerste week in Julie. Gaan die naweek my uurtjie invul.
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Dit klink na n wonderlike manier vir gewone burgers om by bewaring en navorsing betrokke te raak!
Doen hulle iets soortgelyks in die somer, wanneer ek aanneem daar ook n klomp ander voels in New Zealand aankom?
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Nee , hul doen dit juis om so veel as moontlik eie voels te eien. In die somer kies hul die voel van die jaar. Snaaks genoeg as mens na die statistiek kyk van deelname met telling is daar min wat regtig deelneem.
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Hopelik raak dit weier bekend en begin al meer mnese deelneem
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Ons is natuurlik ook nie baie mense nie. Stilletjies kom daar darem meer by.
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Cute little sparrows. Sparrows is lovely birds who like is among people, the most of the species. In Swedish the name of it is, South African sparrow.😊
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That’s a fair name for it, John, as you can expect to see this little one in many parts of our country (nature or city)
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I love this grey-headed sparrow. You had a post about the white-browed sparrow. I have the white-browed sparrows in my garden.
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Your garden sounds like a birder’s paradise, Miriam!
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I do have different birds in my garden. Thank you!
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Interestingly enough we seldom have more than one pair of Southern Grey-headed Sparrows in our garden at any one time. They are present throughout the year and I have observed them feeding their young from time to time. It is years since a Cape Sparrow made its appearance in the garden. House Sparrows can be found in abundance in the car park of our local mall.
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Interesting what you say about not having seen a Cape Sparrow in your garden of late, Anne, as they seem to be thriving up here. Also last week in the Kalahari we saw such enormous flocks that from a distance we thought they must be queleas from a distance!
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such a cute little bird.
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Indeed they are, Lois, and so at home wherever they are!
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Is that a piece of tissue paper in its beak on the last photo?
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You are very observant, Linda! Indeed, this one found a discarded piece of tissue an ideal piece of nesting material.
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That’s a nice looking sparrow! Sparrows seem to know how to thrive wherever they are, and I love having their company in all seasons.
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They’re certainly not allowing humans to drive them from the planet!
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