That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Sparrows do not come to most people’s minds when considering a new pet bird, but a surprising array of beautiful, hardy species are regularly bred in captivity.  Today I’ll cover several of my favorites – the Rufus-Collared, Sudan Golden and Diamond Sparrows, and the Cinnamon-Breasted Rock Bunting.

“Sparrow, Bunting or Finch”?

Aviculturists apply the term “sparrow” to a wide variety of small birds that are not necessarily related, and that are more properly classified as finches.  Ornithologists generally consider birds in the Old World genus Passer to be the “True Sparrows” and those in the family Emberizidae to be the “New World Sparrows and Buntings”.  The genus Passer is home to the widespread House Sparrow, P. domesticus – not a species that is often kept, but which I’ve found to be a delightful captive.  Read More »