Sunday, March 3, 2024

Sind Sparrow: A Rare and Beautiful Bird You Need to Know About

Sindh Sparrow: A Rare and Beautiful Bird

How to Spot and Identify the Sind Sparrow: A Guide for Birdwatchers


If you are a bird lover, you might have heard of the house sparrow, a common and widespread bird that can be found in many parts of the world. But have you ever heard of the Sind sparrow, a close relative of the house sparrow that lives only in a small region of South Asia? In this article, we will introduce you to this rare and beautiful bird, and tell you some interesting facts about its appearance, behaviour, habitat, and conservation status.

What is a Sind sparrow?

Why the Sind Sparrow is More Than Just a House Sparrow Lookalike

The Sind sparrow locally known as Jirkey جھرڪي (Passer pyrrhonotus) is a passerine bird of the sparrow family, Passeridae, found around the Indus valley region in South Asia, mainly in the Sindh province of Pakistan and the neighboring parts of India. It is also known as the jungle, Sind jungle, or rufous-backed sparrow. It was discovered around 1840, but went undetected for several decades afterwards¹. It is very similar to the house sparrow, but it is smaller and has some distinctive features that make it unique.

How does a Sind sparrow look like?

Meet the Sind Sparrow: A Rare Bird with a Unique Story


The Sind sparrow is about 13 cm (5.1 in) long, while the house sparrow is about 15 cm (5.9 in) long¹. The male and female Sind sparrows have different plumage, as in the house sparrows, but they also have some differences from their counterparts of that species.

The male Sind sparrow has a bright chestnut eye-stripe, a gray crown and hindneck, a black patch restricted to the chin, a large white shoulder patch, and a black bill¹. The female Sind sparrow is like the female house sparrow, but has a less contrasting face with grayer head and cheeks¹. Here are some photos of the male and female Sind sparrows, taken from a YouTube video and other sources.

Male Sind sparrow

Female Sind sparrow

How does a Sind sparrow behave?

Discover the Sind Sparrow: A Hidden Treasure of South Asia’s Birdlife


The Sind sparrow is a social and gregarious bird, that forms small groups of four to six birds while feeding. It feeds mostly on seeds and less often on insects, foraging close to the ground. It tends to breed in loose colonies of a few pairs, and non-breeding birds may gather to roost in acacias or tamarisks near water¹. During winter, the non-breeding season, it forms larger flocks of as many as 30 birds, and joins flocks with other seed-eating birds, such as house sparrows and red avadavats.

The Sind sparrow has a variety of vocalizations that are used for communication and attraction. Its main vocalisations are soft chirping calls that are extended into longer songs with other sounds interspersed by breeding males. Here is a recording of the Sind sparrow's calls, taken from a YouTube video.


[Play audio]

Where does a Sind sparrow live?

The Sind sparrow has a restricted and patchy distribution, primarily occurring within the Indus valley of Pakistan, and the lower parts of the tributaries of the Indus in the Punjab region. Its distribution extends from the Indus Delta north to the Kabul River near Nowshera and the Jhelum near Nurpur Noon, extending east into India as far as the Delhi area¹. It also breeds locally in parts of Pakistan's western province of Balochistan, and has been recorded several times in south-eastern Iran.

The Sind sparrow prefers to live in wetland habitats with thorny scrub and tall grass, along rivers, canals, and other water sources¹. During the non-breeding season, some birds enter drier habitats as they disperse short distances from their breeding habitat, or migrate into western Pakistan and the extreme east of Iran.

How is a Sind sparrow doing?

The Sind sparrow is not endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is assessed as least concern on the IUCN Red List, because it has a large range, a stable population, and no major threats¹. However, it is still a rare and localised bird, and its population size and trends are not well known. Some of the potential threats to its survival include habitat loss and degradation, pollution, hunting, and competition with the house sparrow.

How can you see or learn more about a Sind sparrow?

If you want to see or learn more about the Sind sparrow, you might want to visit its natural habitat in the Indus valley region, especially during the breeding season from March to June. You can also look for it in other places where it has been reported, such as Iran, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. However, you should be aware that it is a very local and elusive bird, and you might need some luck and patience to find it.

You can also learn more about the Sind sparrow by reading books, articles, or websites that provide more information about this bird. Some of the sources that we used for this article are:

Sind sparrow - Wikipedia

Sind sparrow - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures

Birds Found in Sindh - The Worlds Rarest Birds


Conclusion

The Sind sparrow is a rare and beautiful bird that is very similar to the house sparrow, but has distinguishing features and a patchy distribution. It lives in wetland habitats and has a social and colonial lifestyle. It has a variety of vocalizations that are used for communication and attraction. It is not endangered, but it is still a rare and localised bird, and its population size and trends are not well known. It is a fascinating bird that deserves more attention and appreciation from bird lovers and conservationists.


#SindSparrow, #IndusValleyBirds, #RareAndBeautiful, #Sparrowlovers, #SindJungleSparrow


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