Snowfinches and Old World Sparrows
Shelley’s Sparrow
Passer shelleyi
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- Snowfinches and Old World Sparrows (Passeridae)
- Order
- Passeriformes
Overview
Shelley's sparrow (Passer shelleyi), also known as Shelley's rufous sparrow or the White Nile rufous sparrow, is a sparrow found in eastern Africa from South Sudan, southern Ethiopia, and north-western Somalia to northern Uganda and north-western Kenya. Formerly, it was considered as a subspecies of the Kenya sparrow. This species is named after English geologist and ornithologist George Ernest Shelley.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Southeastern South Sudan, southern and eastern Ethiopia, northwestern Somalia, northern Uganda, and far western Kenya.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Shelley's sparrow
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
