Iago sparrow  (Passer iagoensis)

A rather attractive small sparrow, the male Iago sparrow has a black or blackish-grey crown, forehead and eyestripe, a small patch of white on the lower forehead, and a small black ‘bib’ on the chin and throat. The sides of the head, above the eye, are a rich cinnamon-brown, and there is a cinnamon-brown patch and small white bar on the scapulars (‘shoulders’). The rest of the upperparts and wings are brownish, streaked with black and buff, and the tail is brown. The cheeks are white and the underparts are grey or off-white. The beak becomes black during the breeding season. The female Iago sparrow is more drab, with grey-brown upperparts and wings, streaked with black, and greyish underparts. A prominent pale cream stripe above the eye helps distinguish the female from the similar-looking female house sparrow, Passer domesticus. The juvenile Iago sparrow is similar in appearance to the adult female, but young males are a warmer brown colour, with a blackish chin and a cinnamon-brown stripe above the eye. The calls of the Iago sparrow include various chirps and churrs, and the song is a series of call notes strung together (2).