The Timor sparrow (''Padda fuscata''), also known as Timor dusky sparrow, is a small, approximately 14 cm long, plump dark brown songbird with a large silvery-blue bill, white cheek, pink feet and creamy-white belly. Both sexes are similar. Its appearance resembles the closely related Java sparrow, but is smaller than the latter and has different coloured plumage. The Timor sparrow inhabits the grasslands and lowlands of the Timor archipelago. Its diet consists mainly of rice and seeds. Due to ongoing habitat loss, limited range and illegal trapping for cage-bird trade, the Timor sparrow is evaluated as near threatened on the

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

. Some taxonomists place this species and the Java sparrow in their own genus, ''Padda''.

References

* Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is near threatened.

External links

BirdLife International.org: ''Lonchura fuscata'' species factsheet
*
Red Data Book.id: ''Lonchura fuscata''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q27075730 Timor sparrow Birds of the Lesser Sunda Islands Birds of Timor Timor sparrow Near threatened animals Near threatened biota of Asia Near threatened biota of Oceania Timor sparrow Timor sparrow Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN