The Spanish sparrow in Malta

Abstract

The House Sparrow Passer domesticus and Spanish Sparrow. Passer hispaniolensis are a fascinating species pair. Over most of the range where both occur, they exist as good species, the House Sparrow living in towns and villages in close association with man, the Spanish Sparrow in the country, particularly associated with damper localities. However, in certain parts of the Mediterranean basin, particularly northern Algeria and western Tunisia, the two species interbreed freely forming a complete range of hybrids of intermediate plumage. The birds in Italy form a stable hybrid population and are now recognised by most authorities as a subspecies of Passer domesticus. To a lesser extent hybridisation occurs on a small scale in other parts; for example, I found a small hybrid population beside Lake Scutari in southern Yugoslavia some years ago and others are reported from time to time.