Passer hispaniolensis
Silhouette: Andrew Butko (modified) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The Spanish sparrow or willow sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It is found in the Mediterranean region and south-west and central Asia. It is very similar to the closely related house sparrow, and the two species show their close relation in a "biological mix-up" of hybridisation in the Mediterranean region, which complicates the taxonomy of this species.
The Spanish sparrow is a rather large sparrow, at 15–16 cm (6–6.5 in) in length, and 22–36 g (0.78–1.27 oz) in weight. It is slightly larger and heavier than house sparrows, and also has a slightly longer and stouter bill. The male is similar to the house sparrow in plumage, but differs in that its underparts are heavily streaked with black, has a chestnut rather than grey crown, and has white rather than grey cheeks. The female is effectively inseparable from the house sparrow in its basic plumage, which is grey-brown overall but more boldly marked. The female has light streaking on its sides, a pale cream supercilium, and broad cream streaks on its back.
Two subspecies of the Spanish sparrow – the western Spanish sparrow (P. h. hispaniolensis) and eastern Spanish...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Spanish Sparrow sighting in Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) on a given day, based on 538 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 70 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.
July
In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Spanish Sparrow in Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) on a given day, against about 50% in September to December, the lowest months. That is one of Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife)'s driest months, with almost no rain against 40 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spanish Sparrow sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Spanish Sparrow sightings, Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Monfragüe National Park (Spain, about 20%) and Doñana National Park (Spain, about 10%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Spanish Sparrow that you can see in Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Canary Islands Chiffchaff (about 90%), Eurasian Blackbird (about 70%) and Island Canary (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spanish Sparrow is recorded against all the birds logged in Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) (538 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.
