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Cape Sparrow
Passer melanurus (Müller, PLS 1776)
The Cape sparrow, 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. Source: Wikipedia
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Passeriformes
Family:
Passeridae
Genus:
Passer
Scientific:
Passer melanurus
Classification
Order:Passeriformes
Family:
Passeridae
Genus:
Passer
Scientific:
Passer melanurus
Original description
Citation:
(Müller, PLS 1776)
Reference:
Linné vollst. Natursyst. Suppl. Reg. Bd.
Protonym:
Loxia melanura
Type locality:
Cape of Good Hope ; restricted to Cape Town by Macdonald (1957, Contr. Orn. W. South Africa, p. 157).
Link:
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52710063#page/173/mode/1up
Avibase identifiers
Avibase ID:
DEE88DF6316BE0F4
Avibase ID:
avibase-DEE88DF6
Short link:
https://avibase.ca/DEE88DF6
Taxonomic Serial Number:
TSN: 561884
Geographic range:
- Passer melanurus melanurus (melanurus): southwestern South Africa (southern Northern Cape and Western Cape east to Free State)
- Passer melanurus melanurus (vicinus): eastern South Africa (southern Limpopo to eastern Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape) and Lesotho
- Passer melanurus damarensis: southwestern Angola to Namibia, east to Zimbabwe and northern South Africa (Northern Cape, North West, and northern Limpopo)
Source: Clements checklist
Cape Sparrow
Catalan:
pardal del Cap
Czech:
vrabec kapský
Danish:
Kapspurv
German:
Kapsperling
Spanish:
Gorrión de El Cabo
Spanish (Spain):
Gorrión de El Cabo
Finnish:
sirkkuvarpunen
French:
Moineau mélanure
Croatian:
crnolici vrabac
Hungarian:
fokföldi veréb
Icelandic:
Mánaspör
Italian:
Passera del Capo
Japanese (romaji):
hoogurosuzume
Japanese:
ホオグロスズメ
Lithuanian:
Kapinis žvirblis
Dutch:
Kaapse Mus
Norwegian Nynorsk:
Boarsporv
Norwegian:
Boerspurv
Polish:
wróbel czarnogłowy
Portuguese:
pardal-do-cabo
Portuguese (Portugal):
pardal-do-cabo
Russian:
Капский воробей
Slovak:
vrabec čiernohlavý
Serbian:
Južnoafrički vrabac
Swedish:
boersparv
Ukrainian:
Горобець чорноголовий
Chinese:
南非麻雀
Chinese (Traditional):
南非麻雀
Authorities recognizing this taxonomic concept:
| African Bird Club Checklist 2004: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| African Bird Club Checklist August 2005: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| African Bird Club Checklist March 2007: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| African Bird Club Checklist January 2008: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| African Bird Club Checklist May 2009: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| African Bird Club Checklist March 2010: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts (current): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2023 (May 2023): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 01 (August 2013): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 02 (May 2014): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 03 (March 2015): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 04 (Aug 2016): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 05 (Jan 2017): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 06 (Feb 2018): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 07 (Feb 2020): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 08 (Feb 2021): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 00: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 01: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 02: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 03: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 04: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 05 (Jun 2012): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 05.1 (Oct 2012): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 06 (Nov 2013): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 06.1 (Feb 2014): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 07 (Jul 2014): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 08 (Oct 2015): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 09 (Dec 2016): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 09.1 (Jun 2017): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v2 (Dec 2017): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v3 (Nov 2018): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v4 (Dec 2019): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v5 (Dec 2020): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v6 (Dec 2021): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v6b (Jul 2022): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v7 (Dec 2022): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v8 (Dec 2023): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Commission internationale pour les noms français des oiseaux (1993, révision 2009): Moineau mélanure ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Commission internationale pour les noms français des oiseaux (1993): Moineau mélanure ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 1st edition: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements, version 2021: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements, version 2022: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements, version 2023: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 3rd edition: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 4th edition: Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 5th edition (as published): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 5th edition (incl. 2000 revisions): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 5th edition (incl. 2001 revisions): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 5th edition (incl. 2002 revisions): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 5th edition (incl. 2003 revisions): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 5th edition (incl. 2004 revisions): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 5th edition (incl. 2005 revisions): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 6th edition: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 6th edition (incl. 2007 revisions): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 6th edition (incl. 2008 revisions): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 6th edition (incl. 2009 revisions): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 6th edition (version 6.5 incl. 2010 revisions): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 6th edition (version 6.6 incl. 2011 revisions): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 6th edition (version 6.7 incl. 2012 revisions): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 6th edition (version 6.8 incl. 2013 revisions): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements 6th edition (version 6.9 incl. 2014 revisions): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements, version 2015: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements, version 2016: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements, version 2017: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements, version 2018: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Clements, version 2019: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 1.50: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 1.52: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 1.53: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 1.54: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 1.55: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2015: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2016: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2017: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2018: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2019: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2021: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2022: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2023: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 2nd edition: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 2nd edition (incl. ? suppl): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 3rd edition (as published): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 3rd edition (incl. corrigenda 1.2): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 3rd edition (incl. corrigenda 2.1): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 3rd edition (incl. corrigenda 3.1): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 3rd edition (incl. corrigenda 4): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 3rd edition (incl. corrigenda 5): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 3rd edition (incl. corrigenda 6): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 3rd edition (incl. corrigenda 7): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 3rd edition (incl. corrigenda 8): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 4th edition (vol. 1-2): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Howard and Moore 4th edition (incl. corrigenda vol.1-2): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Handbook of the Birds of the World (vol 1-16): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (31/01/2015): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (03/07/2017): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Handbook of the Birds of the World and Birdlife (Dec 2017): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Handbook of the Birds of the World and Birdlife (Dec 2018): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 1.0: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 1.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 1.5: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 1.6: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 1.7: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.0: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.3: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.4: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.5: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.6: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.7: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.8: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.9: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.10: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 2.11: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 3.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 3.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 3.3: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 3.4: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 3.5: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 4.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 4.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 4.3: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 4.4: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 5.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 5.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 5.3: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 5.4: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 6.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 6.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 6.3: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 6.4: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 7.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 7.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 7.3: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 8.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 8.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 9.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 9.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 10.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 10.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 11.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 11.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 12.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 12.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 13.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 13.2: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 14.1: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Morony, Bock and Farrand: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Peters' Check-list of the Birds: Passer melanurus [version 1] |
| Peters' Check-list of the Birds (original): Passer melanurus [version 1] |
| Peters' Check-list of the Birds (2nd edition): Passer melanurus [version 1] |
| Sibley and Monroe (1993): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Sibley and Monroe (1993, including corrections up to 1998): Mossie ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Sibley and Monroe, Birds of the World Version 2.0: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Working Group Avian Checklists, version 0.01: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Working Group Avian Checklists, version 0.02: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Working Group Avian Checklists, version 0.03: Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Working Group Avian Checklists, version 0.04 (7/07/2024): Cape Sparrow ( Passer melanurus) [version 1] |
| Zoonomen - Zoological Nomenclature Resource: Passer melanurus [version 1] |
| Zoonomen - Zoological Nomenclature Resource: Passer melanurus [version 1] |
Taxonomic status:
Species status: full species
Your sightings
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Other synonyms
See also the taxonomic synonyms table.
Afrikaans: Gewone Mossie
Azerbaijani: Cənubi Afrika sərçəsi
Catalan: pardal del Cap
Czech: Vrabec kapský
Danish: Kapspurv
German: Kapsperling
English: Cape Sparrow, Damara Mossie, Mossie, Mossie Sparrow
English, HBW: Cape Sparrow
English (IOC): Cape Sparrow
English (United States): Cape Sparrow
Esperanto: Nigrakapa pasero
Spanish: Gorrión de El Cabo, Gorrión del Cabo, Gorrión Mossie
Spanish (Spain): Gorrión de El Cabo, Gorrión del Cabo
Spanish (HBW): Cape Sparrow
Estonian: mustpea-varblane
Finnish: Sirkkuvarpunen
French: Moineau du Cap, Moineau mélanure
Croatian: crnolici vrabac
Hungarian: fokföldi veréb
Icelandic: Mánaspör
Italian: Passera del Capo, Passero del Capo
Japanese (romaji): hoogurosuzume
Japanese: ホオグロスズメ
Scientific: Loxia melanura, Passer melanurus, Passer melanurus melanurus
Lithuanian: Kapinis žvirblis
Dutch: Kaapse Mus
Norwegian Nynorsk: Boarsporv
Norwegian: Boerspurv
Polish: Wróbel blady, wróbel czarnoglowy, wróbel czarnogłowy
Portuguese: Pardal do cabo, Pardal-do-cabo
Portuguese (Portugal): pardal-do-cabo
Russian: Капский воробей, Южноафриканский воробей
Slovak: vrabec čiernohlavý
Serbian: Južnoafrički vrabac
Sotho, Southern: Serobele
Swedish: Boersparv
Swahili: Shomoro Uso-mweusi
Tswana: Tswere
Turkish: Kap serçesi
Ukrainian: Горобець чорноголовий
Xhosa: Ingqabe
Chinese: 南非麻雀
Chinese (Traditional): 南非麻雀
Zulu: uNdlunkulu
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