PALE ROCKFINCH

PALE ROCKFINCH

The pale rockfinch or pale rock sparrow (Carpospiza brachydactyla) is a small sparrow found in the Middle East and Central Asia. It is the only member of the genus Carpospiza. Some authorities include it in the genus Petronia.^[2] Others have placed it in the finch family due to some similarities in behaviour and form, but the anatomy of its tongue exhibits characteristic sparrow features.^[2][3]

The countries in which it occurs are Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.^[1] Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and temperate grassland.^[2]

1.  BirdLife International (2012). "Petronia brachydactyla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
2. ^ Jump up to:^a b c Summers-Smith, J. Denis (2009). "Family Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)". In del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Christie, David. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-96553-50-7.
3. Jump up^ Bock, W. (2004). "Affinities of Carpospiza brachydactyla (Passeriformes; Passeridae)". Journal of Ornithology