Yellow-throated Sparrow

A small, drab, unstreaked sparrow with one, sometimes two prominent white wingbars. Gray-brown above, pale brown to whitish on underparts. Male has an indistinct eyebrow, an inconspicuous pale yellow spot on throat, and light chestnut on shoulders. Juvenile resembles female. The familiar call is a distinctive “chilp” that it gives mostly while perching high. Inhabits light forests, scrub jungles, villages, and cultivated areas.

Distribution. The chestnut-shouldered petronia is found from Turkey into Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and as a vagrant in Sri Lanka and possibly parts of Myanmar. It is found in forest, gardens and open scrub habitats.

They feed mainly on grains but also on insects, nectar and berries. An unusual food item is the petals of flowers such as those of Madhuca indica. When they visit flowers such as those of Capparis, Salmalia, Erythrina and Bassia, their foreheads are covered with pollen.