The russet sparrow is an Asian sparrow, a cousin of the house sparrow, that lives in the Himalayas and across East Asia; it isn't found in North America. Males have a warm cinnamon back and head, and the call is softer than other sparrows' chirps.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About 5.5–6 in (14–15 cm) long. Males are bright russet to cinnamon above with a small black bib and grayish or yellow-tinged underparts. Females are pale brown above with a cream eyebrow and a dark eye line, much like a female house sparrow but with a slightly russet tint.
- Voice
- Its basic call is a short chirp, softer than other sparrows' calls. Males string calls into a short song. One standard reference calls it the sweetest and most musical of the sparrows.
Look-alikes
Eurasian tree sparrowPasser montanus
The tree sparrow has a black spot on its white cheek and a browner back; male russet sparrows have no cheek spot and a brighter cinnamon back.
Why they get mixed upMales are very similar in size and overall pattern, and both have a small black bib.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Mountains
- Open woodland
- Farmland
- Range
- From the Himalayas and Afghanistan east through China and Taiwan to Korea and Japan, reaching Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands in summer. It does not occur in the U.S.
- Preferred conditions
- In East Asia it prefers light woodland; in the Himalayas it lives around terraced farm fields.
- Migration
- Northern birds move south for winter, with fall migration in East Asia from August to November; Himalayan birds move downhill from about November to April.
Behavior
- Diet
- Mostly seeds of grasses and grains such as rice and barley, plus berries. Nestlings are fed mostly insects, especially caterpillars.
Life cycle
- Nest
- Mostly in tree holes, often old woodpecker holes, but also under eaves and in walls.
- Clutch size
- 4–6 eggs
- Incubation
- Both parents incubate and feed the young; there are often two broods a year.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Long known as Passer rutilans; most authorities now use the older name Passer cinnamomeus. Three are widely recognized, differing mainly in how yellow the underparts are.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
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