Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

The Old World sparrow genus Passer is a group of small passerine birds that is believed to have originated in Africa, and which contains 15–25 species depending on the authority. Its members are typically found in open, lightly wooded, habitats, although several species, notably the House Sparrow (P. domesticus) have adapted to human habitations. Most species in the genus are typically 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long, predominantly brown or greyish birds with short square tails and stubby conical beaks. They are primarily ground-feeding seed-eaters, although they also consume invertebrates, especially when breeding. Genetic studies show that the Eurasian Tree Sparrow diverged from the other Eurasian members of its genus relatively early, before the speciation of the House, Pegu and Spanish Sparrows. The Eurasian species is not closely related to the American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea), which is an American sparrow.

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow's binomial name is derived from two Latin words: passer, "sparrow", and montanus, "of the mountains" (from mons "mountain"). The Eurasian Tree Sparrow was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 Systema Naturae as Fringilla montana, but, along with the House Sparrow, it was soon moved from the finches (family Fringillidae) into the new genus Passer created by French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The Eurasian Tree Sparrow's common name is given because of its preference of tree holes for nesting. This name, and the scientific name montanus, do not appropriately describe this species's habitat preferences: the German name Feldsperling ("field sparrow") comes closer to doing so.