Gymnoris xanthocollis
Silhouette: Andrew Butko (modified) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The yellow-throated sparrow or chestnut-shouldered petronia (Gymnoris xanthocollis) is a species of sparrow found in southern Asia. It is a species mostly of the dry savannah. They forage on the ground for grain and for berries in bushes. They are often seen perched atop bare branches on trees while calling.
It has a finer bill than typical sparrows of the genus Passer and unlike them has no streaks on the plumage. The white double wing bar on the shoulder is diagnostic on the otherwise dull grey-brown sparrow. Males have a chestnut shoulder patch which can sometimes be hard to see. They also have a pale yellow spot on the throat in fresh plumage. Females are duller and lack the chestnut shoulder patch. The yellow spot is much reduced or lacking in females.
This species is tree-loving although sometimes seen on wires and on the ground, where it has a hopping gait. The usual call is a chirrup but the song is distinctive and repetitive chilp chalp cholp. It has a bounding flight and dips deeply before rising up.
This species has sometimes been lumped along with the yellow-spotted petronia (Petronia pyrgita) of Africa. Currently, two subspecies are recognized... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gir National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 9 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 11 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 12 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-throated Sparrow sighting in Gir National Park on a given day, based on 131 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 135 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and April
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-throated Sparrow in Gir National Park on a given day, against about 40% in December, the lowest month. Those are among Gir National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 330 mm in July. July and August have too few records to rate.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-throated Sparrow sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 12 parks where we can rate Yellow-throated Sparrow sightings, Gir National Park has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Bandhavgarh National Park (India, about 40%) and Ranthambore National Park (India, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Yellow-throated Sparrow that you can see in Gir National Park (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Oriental Magpie-Robin (about 70%), Large-billed Crow (about 70%) and Indian Robin (about 70%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-throated Sparrow is recorded against all the birds logged in Gir National Park (131 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
