Cape Sparrow
Passer melanurus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyPasseridae (Passèrids)
- GenusPasser (True Sparrows)
- SpeciesPasser melanurus (Cape Sparrow)
The Cape sparrow (Passer melanurus), or mossie, is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae found in southern Africa. A medium-sized sparrow at 14–16 centimetres (5.5–6.3 in), it has distinctive plumage, including large pale head stripes in both sexes. Its plumage is mostly grey, brown, and chestnut, and the male has some bold black and white markings on its head and neck. The species inhabits semi-arid savannah, cultivated areas, and towns, and ranges from the central coast of Angola to eastern South Africa and Eswatini. Three subspecies are distinguished in different parts of its range. Cape sparrows primarily eat seeds, and also eat soft plant parts and insects. Wikipedia →
30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Sparrow sighting in Addo Elephant National Park, based on 193 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Addo Elephant National Park
Southern Gray-headed Sparrow
Passer diffusus
Yellow-throated Sparrow
Gymnoris superciliaris
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Southern Fiscal
Lanius collaris
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Cape Wagtail
Motacilla capensis
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis nitens
Cape Crow
Corvus capensis
Pied Crow
Corvus albus
Bokmakierie
Telophorus zeylonus
Sombre Greenbul
Andropadus importunus
Southern Boubou
Laniarius ferrugineus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 7 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 10 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 11 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 12 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Cape Sparrow in Addo Elephant National Park?
About 32% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Sparrow sighting in Addo Elephant National Park, based on 193 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Cape Sparrow in Addo Elephant National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Cape Sparrow in Addo Elephant National Park in our monthly data.