Scientific name: Petronia petronia (Linnaeus, 1766)
Bird group: Sparrows
Field characters. 14 cm. Resembles female of House Sparrow, but upperparts paler, a large but indistinct faint yellow spot on upper chest (visible only at close quarters), tail with white spots, and different colour pattern on head. Adults and juvenile rather similar, but juvenile has paler plumage, and lacks yellow spot on chest. Head dark brown, crown with pale grey-buff crown-stripe; also a broad pale buff supercilium, and dark upper fringe of cheeks; upperparts light brown with darker brown streaks on wings and back; underparts dirty white with very pale buff mottling on breast and upper belly, and pale buff streaks on throat. Flight undulating, tail-spots clearly visible. Gait is quite unlike House Sparrow's: tends to run rather than hop.
Voice. Not unlike House Sparrow's, but higher-pitched, sharper and more babbling. A slightly choked "chee-oo-ee" or "per-joo" are commonly heard.
Distribution. Fairly common resident in south, rare in central Europe.
Habitat. Open, somewhat arid terrain such as mountain slopes with scattered rocks, stony grounds, and agricultural land. Also regularly found among ruins.
Food. Predominantly insects and seeds.