How big is a Shelley's Sparrow?

The Shelley's Sparrow is a small sized bird weighing about 22 g.

Where can you see a Shelley's Sparrow?

The Shelley's Sparrow occurs in 3 countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya.

What birds look similar to a Shelley's Sparrow?

The Shelley's Sparrow is most easily confused with the Desert Sparrow, the Saxaul Sparrow and the Iago Sparrow.

Is the Shelley's Sparrow endangered?

The Shelley's Sparrow is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Shelley's Sparrow

Passer shelleyi

Snowfinches and Old World Sparrows · Passeriformes · Rare

The Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi) is a rare snowfinches and old world sparrow found in 3 countries, weighing about 22 g. Shelley's sparrow, also known as Shelley's rufous sparrow or the White Nile rufous sparrow, is a sparrow found in eastern Africa from South Sudan, southern Ethiopia, and north-western Somalia to northern Uganda and north-western Kenya.

Least ConcernRareEats seedsdome nest22 g

Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi), photo 1 — Photo: Henrik Grønvold · Public domain

Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi), photo 2 — Photo: Henrik Grønvold · Public domain

Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi), photo 3 — Photo: Henrik Grønvold · Public domain

Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi), photo 4 — Photo: (c) avocat, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi), photo 5 — Photo: (c) avocat, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi), photo 6 — Photo: (c) tlaloc27, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi), photo 7 — Photo: (c) avocat, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi), photo 8 — Photo: (c) avocat, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi), photo 9 — Photo: (c) avocat, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Shelley's Sparrow (Passer shelleyi), photo 10 — Photo: (c) Rafael Würtemberger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

About the Shelley's Sparrow

Shelley's sparrow, also known as Shelley's rufous sparrow or the White Nile rufous sparrow, is a sparrow found in eastern Africa from South Sudan, southern Ethiopia, and north-western Somalia to northern Uganda and north-western Kenya. Formerly, it was considered as a subspecies of the Kenya sparrow. This species is named after English geologist and ornithologist George Ernest Shelley.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it lives

Uganda Ethiopia Kenya

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, November, December, with peak activity in June. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

What does a Shelley's Sparrow look like?: Shelley's sparrow, also known as Shelley's rufous sparrow or the White Nile rufous sparrow, is a sparrow found in eastern Africa from South Sudan, southern Ethiopia, and north-western Somalia to northern Uganda and north-western Kenya.
How big is a Shelley's Sparrow?: The Shelley's Sparrow is a small sized bird weighing about 22 g.
Where can you see a Shelley's Sparrow?: The Shelley's Sparrow occurs in 3 countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya.
What birds look similar to a Shelley's Sparrow?: The Shelley's Sparrow is most easily confused with the Desert Sparrow, the Saxaul Sparrow and the Iago Sparrow.
Is the Shelley's Sparrow endangered?: The Shelley's Sparrow is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Shelley's Sparrow for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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