Passer

The genus Passer was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760.{{ cite book | last=Brisson | first=Mathurin Jacques | author-link=Mathurin Jacques Brisson | year=1760 | title=Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés | volume=1 | language=French, Latin | page=36, Pl. 1 fig. 6 | place=Paris | publisher=Jean-Baptiste Bauche | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36010434 }}{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Greenway | editor2-first=James C. Jr | year=1962 | title=Check-list of birds of the world | volume=15 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=8 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14485381 }} The type species was subsequently designated as the house sparrow (Passer domesticus).{{ cite book | last=Gray | first=George Robert | author-link=George Robert Gray | year=1840 | title=A List of the Genera of Birds : with an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus | place=London | publisher=R. and J.E. Taylor | page=46 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13668963 }} The name Passer is the Latin word for "sparrow."{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A. | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher=Christopher Helm | location = London, United Kingdom | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 | page =[https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n294 294]}}

File:Passer montanus Baikonur 001.jpg, a male house sparrow, and female house or Spanish sparrows, feeding on grain in the town of Baikonur, Kazakhstan]]

The genus contains 28 species:{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | date=January 2021 | title=Old World sparrows, snowfinches, weavers | work=IOC World Bird List Version 11.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/weavers/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=1 June 2021 }}{{Cite web|title=Taxonomic Updates – IOC World Bird List|url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/updates/taxonomy/|access-date=2021-07-29|language=en-US}}

Besides these living species, there are questionable fossils from as long ago as the Early Miocene,{{harvnb|Mlíkovský|2002|p=247}} and Passer predomesticus, from the Middle Pleistocene.

File:Great Sparrow.jpg in Marakele National Park, South Africa]]

These sparrows are plump little brown or greyish birds, often with black, yellow or white markings. Typically {{convert|10|–|20|cm|in}} long, they range in size from the chestnut sparrow (Passer eminibey), at {{convert|11.4|cm|in}} and {{convert|13.4|g|oz}}, to the parrot-billed sparrow (Passer gongonensis), at {{convert|18|cm|in}} and {{convert|42|g|oz}}.{{cite book |editor=Forshaw, Joseph|author1=Bledsoe, A. H. |author2=Payne, R. B. |year=1991|title=Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds|publisher= Merehurst Press|location=London|pages= 222|isbn= 978-1-85391-186-6}} They have strong, stubby conical beaks with decurved culmens and blunter tips.{{cite book|year=2001|contribution=Old World Sparrows|title=The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behaviour |publisher=Christopher Helm |location=London |first=Kathleen |last=Groschupf |pages=562–564 |isbn=978-0-7136-6250-4 |editor1=Elphick, Chris |editor2=Dunning, John B. Jr. |editor3=Sibley, David}} All species have calls similar to the house sparrow's chirrup or tschilp call, and some, though not the house sparrow, have elaborate songs.

File:Passer luteus flock Red Sea Sudan.jpgs near the Red Sea in Sudan]]

Most of its members are found naturally in open habitats in the warmer climates of Africa and southern Eurasia. Evolutionary studies suggest the genus originated in Africa. Several species have adapted to human habitation, and this has enabled the house sparrow in particular, in close association with humans, to extend its Eurasian range well beyond what was probably its original home in the Middle East.{{cite book|last=Summers-Smith|first=J. D.|contribution=Changes in distribution and habitat utilisation by members of the genus Passer|pages=11–29|title=Granivorous birds in the agricultural landscape|editor1=Pinowski, J. |editor2=Summers-Smith, J. D.|year=1990|publisher=Pánstwowe Wydawnictom Naukowe|location=Warszawa|isbn=978-83-01-08460-8}} Apart from this natural colonisation, the house sparrow has been introduced to many parts of the world outside its natural range, including the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia. The Eurasian tree sparrow has also been artificially introduced on a smaller scale, with populations in Australia and locally in Missouri and Illinois in the United States.

Passer sparrows build an untidy nest, which, depending on species and nest site availability, may be in a bush or tree, a natural hole in a tree, in a building or in thatch, or in the fabric of the nest of species such as the white stork. The clutch of up to eight eggs is incubated by both parents typically for 12–14 days, with another 14–24 more days to fledging.

Passer sparrows are primarily ground-feeding seed-eaters, though they also consume small insects especially when breeding. A few species, like the house sparrow and northern grey-headed sparrow scavenge for food around cities, and are almost omnivorous.{{harvnb|Summers-Smith|1988|pp=253–255}} Most Passer species are gregarious and will form substantial flocks.{{harvnb|Clement|Harris|Davis|1993| p=442}}

{{Reflist}}

;Works cited

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book|last1=Clement|first1=Peter|last2=Harris|first2=Alan|last3=Davis|first3=John|title = Finches and Sparrows: an Identification Guide|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1993|location=Princeton, New Jersey|isbn=978-0-691-03424-9}}
• {{cite book|last=Mlíkovský|first=Jiří|title=Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe|year=2002|publisher=Ninox Press|oclc=156629447|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070611074327/http://www.nm.cz/download/JML-18-2002-CBE.pdf|archive-date=11 June 2007|url-status=dead|url=http://www.nm.cz/download/JML-18-2002-CBE.pdf}}
• {{Cite book | last = Summers-Smith | first = J. Denis | author-link = J. Denis Summers-Smith | title = The Sparrows: a study of the genus Passer | publisher = T. & A. D. Poyser | others = illustrated by Robert Gillmor | year = 1988 | location = Calton, Staffs, England | isbn = 978-0-85661-048-6 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/sparrowsstudyofg0000summ }}

{{Refend}}

{{Commons|Passer}}

• [http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/old-world-sparrows-passeridae Passeridae] on the Internet Bird Collection
• {{cite journal |last1=Päckert |first1=Martin |last2=Hering |first2=Jens |last3=Belkacem |first3=Abdelkrim Ait |last4=Sun |first4=Yue-Hua |last5=Hille |first5=Sabine |last6=Lkhagvasuren |first6=Davaa |last7=Islam |first7=Safiqul |last8=Martens |first8=Jochen |title=A revised multilocus phylogeny of Old World sparrows (Aves: Passeridae) |journal=Vertebrate Zoology |date=31 May 2021 |volume=71 |pages=353–366 |doi=10.3897/vz.71.e65952|s2cid=236414823 |doi-access=free }}

{{Passeridae}}

{{Passeroidea|P.|state=collapsed}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q28753}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Passeridae

Category:Bird genera