The Sind sparrow is a passerine bird of the sparrow family, Passeridae, found around the Indus valley region in South Asia. Its name refers to the province of Sindh, and it is also known as the jungle, Sind jungle, or rufous-backed sparrow. Very similar to the related house sparrow, it is smaller and has distinguishing plumage features. As in the house sparrow, the male has brighter plumage than female and young birds, including black markings and a grey crown. Distinctively, the male has a chestnut stripe running down its head behind the eye, and the female has a darker head than other sparrow species. Its main vocalisations are soft chirping calls that are extended into longer songs with other sounds interspersed by breeding males. Historically, this species was thought to be very closely related to the house sparrow, but its closest evolutionary affinities may lie elsewhere. The species was discovered around 1840, but went undetected for several decades afterwards.
Region
Indus Valley and northwest Indian subcontinent
Typical Environment
Found mainly along the Indus River and its tributaries in Pakistan, extending into northwestern India, with localized records in adjacent arid regions where watercourses and canals occur. It favors riparian scrub, tamarisk and acacia thickets, and reedbeds near permanent or seasonal water. The species readily uses man-made irrigation networks, village groves, and field margins. It avoids dense urban cores but is common in agricultural mosaics close to wetlands and rivers.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Sind sparrow is closely tied to riverine habitats of the Indus system, often expanding along irrigation canals and wetlands. Males show a distinctive chestnut stripe behind the eye, while females have a darker head than most other sparrows. It is smaller and slightly more rufous than the house sparrow, with softer, less harsh calls. The species is generally common where suitable thickets and reedbeds persist near water.
Female in Delhi, India
Illustration of a pair by John Gerrard Keulemans, 1888
Nest at Sultanpur National Park in India
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct flights between cover
Social Behavior
Often forms small flocks outside the breeding season and associates loosely with other sparrows. Breeds in loose colonies or scattered pairs in riverine thickets and reeds. Nests are grass cups placed in bushes, trees, or reeds, and males display at nest sites with soft calls. Both parents feed the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft chirps and short twitters, less rasping than the house sparrow. Breeding males string together gentle chirps and trills into simple, repeated phrases delivered from a perch within scrub.
