Whilst birding Phil’s fields near Sabya 7-8 July
2017 I saw a large flock of 300+ Arabian Golden Sparrows. The species only
occurs in the southwest tip of the Arabian Peninsula (southwest Saudi Arabia
and western Yemen), Djibouti and extreme coastal northwest Somalia. The favour
arid thorn-bush savanna and nearby cultivated land. The birds I saw were in
trees surrounding large pivot irrigation fields and were a mix of both males
and females. The male birds are golden-yellow, except for paler yellow
upperwing-coverts with greyish inner webs, black flight-feathers with whitish
edges with small white patch at base of primaries. They have black tail
feathers broadly edged white and a dark brown eye. The bill is flesh-coloured
to creamy grey, becoming black in breeding season. legs pale pinkish-brown. The
female is mainly pale buff or sandy grey, pale lemon-buff below, with wing and
tail similar to males. Juvenile is similar to female, but with faint spotting
on upper parts.
