Tag Archives: Petronia superciliaris

Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow

Gymnoris superciliaris

Yellow-throated Bush Sparrows (previously known as the Yellow-throated Petronia) inhabit dry woodland, savannas and riverine thickets with a sparse grass covering. They are usually encountered singly or in monogamous, fairly permanent pairs, often in the company of other seed-eating birds. Aside from seeds, which form their staple diet, these sparrow-like birds also consumes invertebrates and nectar, and will forage both on the ground and along large branches.

They sleep and breed in holes in trees, often using old woodpecker or barbet nests for the purpose. Their breeding season spans all of the spring and summer months, with the female being responsible for the incubation of the eggs. Adults grow to 16cm in length with a weight of around 24g.

The IUCN considers the Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow to be of least concern. In South Africa they can be found in the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng and North West Province, while they’re also widely distributed over much of the rest of Africa south of the Equator.