Italy National Symbols: National Bird
Italian Sparrow (common name)
Passer italiae (scientific name)
Designation
Official
Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Passeridae
- Genus: Passer
- Species: P. italiae
The Bird
Also known as a cisalpine sparrow, the Italian sparrow is a small bird, with grey and brown plumage. They average 14–16 centimeters (5.5–6.3 inches) in length. The tail is normally 5.3–6 cm (2.1–2.4 in) long, and wingspans for males are 7.3–8.2 cm (2.9–3.2 in). The bird's weight varies seasonally from around 30 grams (1.1 ounces) in the winter to about 26 g (0.92 oz) during summer.
Italian sparrows are found in northern Italy and neighboring parts of the Mediterranean region.
The Significance
The Italian sparrow is one of the wild birds most commonly consumed in Italy. Southern Italy's archeological site of Pompeii includes a depiction of an Italian sparrow or one of its relatives.
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