Great Sparrow
Photo © scaup
Photo © scaup — CC BY 4.0 — Source: iNaturalist #199058737The great sparrow (Passer motitensis), also known as the southern rufous sparrow, is found in southern Africa in dry, wooded savannah and towns. This is a 15–16 cm long sparrow superficially like a large house sparrow. It has a grey crown and rear neck and rufous upperparts. While in the past some authorities considered this species and several related species of 'rufous sparrow' on the African mainland to be the same as the Iago sparrow of Cape Verde, they do not appear to be so closely related as thought. A few currently recognise only some of the rufous sparrows as separate from the great sparrow, but the Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International recognise the Socotra sparrow, Kenya sparrow, Kordofan sparrow, and Shelley's sparrow as separate species.
Mapungubwe National Park
Musina Local Municipality, South Africa
+358 birds+29 mammals
Where the Limpopo River cuts through sandstone ridges at the convergence of South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, Mapungubwe National Park preserves a landscape of profound ecological…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKChobe National Park
Botswana
+446 birds+45 mammals
Where the Chobe River cuts a sinuous path through northern Botswana, the landscape transforms into one of Africa's most dynamic wetland-savanna mosaics. This national park encompasses…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNxai Pan National Park
Botswana
+226 birds+16 mammals
Across the northwestern reaches of Botswana stretches a landscape of profound seasonal transformation—a sprawling pan system where shallow depressions fill and empty with the rains, creating…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKhaudum National Park
Botswana
+213 birds+13 mammals
Where the Okavango's northern tributaries meander through miombo woodland and riverine forest, Khaudum National Park unfolds across a landscape of profound ecological richness and isolation. This…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPilanesberg National Park
Moses Kotane Local Municipality, South Africa
+364 birds+49 mammals
Granite peaks and volcanic ridges rise unexpectedly from the savanna floor across this 734-square-kilometre expanse in the North West province, creating a landscape of profound ecological…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMokala National Park
Siyancuma Local Municipality, South Africa
+246 birds+35 mammals
Across the semi-arid savanna of the Northern Cape, where red earth meets sparse acacia woodland and open grassland punctuated by rocky outcrops, lies a landscape shaped…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMarakele National Park
Modimolle Local Municipality, South Africa
+341 birds+36 mammals
Granite ridges and sprawling grasslands dominate this 1,176-square-kilometre reserve in Limpopo's heartland, where bushveld transitions between rocky outcrops and open savanna. The park's rugged topography creates…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKhaudum National Park
Namibia
+221 birds+13 mammals
Where the Kavango River flows through northeastern Namibia, vast miombo woodlands and riverine forests create one of southern Africa's most remote and biodiverse wilderness corridors. Khaudum…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDorob National Park
Henties Bay, Namibia
+230 birds+13 mammals
Where the Skeleton Coast meets the Namib Desert's inland reaches, Dorob National Park sprawls across 34,021 square kilometres of one of southern Africa's most austere and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNamib-Naukluft National Park
Namibia
+217 birds+33 mammals
Across nearly 94,000 square kilometers of southwestern Namibia, a landscape of extremes unfolds where towering sand dunes meet rugged mountain ranges, and ancient riverbeds carve through…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKEtosha National Park
Namibia
+356 birds+58 mammals
Across northern Namibia's stark semi-arid plateau, a vast shallow depression transforms seasonally into one of Africa's most dramatic wildlife theaters. Etosha National Park, encompassing more than…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKWaterberg Plateau National Park
Okambukonde, Namibia
+198 birds+27 mammals
Where ancient sandstone cliffs rise 200 metres above the surrounding bushveld, a fortress of geology creates one of southern Africa's most compelling ecosystems. The plateau's steep…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMakgadikgadi Pans National Park
Gucta, Botswana
+272 birds+27 mammals
Where salt-crusted flatlands stretch endlessly toward a shimmering horizon, one of Africa's most extraordinary ecosystems awakens with the rains. The Makgadikgadi Pans comprise vast mineral-rich basins…
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