Robin Chittenden / Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis). Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain. February.

Winfried Wisniewski / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), Castile-La Mancha, Spain

Nick Upton / Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) male perched in a Sea grape bush (Zygophyllum fontanesii) in coastal scrubland, Sotavento lagoon, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, May.

Roger Powell / Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) male perched on a roadside barbed wire fence. Alentejo, Portugal.

Mathias Schaef/ BIA / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) male at waterhole, Israel

Mathias Schaef/ BIA / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) female at waterhole, Israel

Ralph Martin/ BIA / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) male, Turkey

Bernard Castelein / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) perched, Djerba, Tunisia

Bernard Castelein / Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) perched, Djerba, Tunisia

Roger Powell / Spanish Sparrow male (Passer hispaniolensis) drinking from the lakeside. Monte da Aparica, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, May.

Loic Poidevin / Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) perched on branch, Spain, April.

Roger Powell / Female Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) perched on a branch. Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, May.

Roger Powell / Female Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) perched on a branch. Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, May.

Roger Powell / Female Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) dustbathing on a sandy track. Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, May.

Roger Powell / Male Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis)collecting thistle down for nesting material. Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, May.

Roger Powell / Male Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) collecting thistle down for nesting material. Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, May.

Roger Powell / Male Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) collecting thistle down for nesting material. Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, May.

Roger Powell / Male Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) perched on top of a dead thistle. Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, May.

Roger Powell / Female Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) collecting thistle down for nesting material. Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, May.

Ralph Martin / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), Croatia

Ralph Martin / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), Croatia

Rosl Roessner / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) female, Lesvos, Greece

Roger Powell / White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) adjusting nest, with Spanish sparrows (Passer hispaniolensis) nesting underneath, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, April.

Roger Powell / White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) sitting on a nest, with Spanish sparrows (Passer hispaniolensis) nesting underneath, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, April.

Roger Powell / White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) sitting on a nest, with Spanish sparrows (Passer hispaniolensis) nesting underneath, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, April.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstr / Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria, May 2013.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstr / White stork (Ciconia ciconia) with nest on telegraph pole with Spanish sparrows (Passer hispanicus) breeding underneath, Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria, May 2013.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Spanish sparrow {Passer hispaniolensis} male feeding, Oman, March

Roger Powell / Male Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) looking out from nest hole, soliciting the attention of two visiting females, Rosmaninhal, Castelo Branco, Portugal

Kerstin Hinze / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) amongst barley heads, Bulgaria May 2008

Roger Powell / flock of Spanish Sparrows {Passer hispaniolensis} gathering at evening roost in bramble bush, Evora, Portugal

Roger Powell / Roosting flock of Spanish Sparrows {Passer hispaniolensis} in Hawthorn bush, Evora, Portugal

Roger Powell / Flock of Spanish Sparrows {Passer hispaniolensis} gathering at their evening roost in bramble bushes, Evora, Portugal

Fabio Liverani / Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) in grasses. Dunas de Maspalomas Natural Reserve, Gran Canaria, Canary Isles, Spain, September 2007

Roger Powell / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) male, Extremadura, Spain

Roger Powell / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) male on branch, Extremadura, Spain

Kerstin Hinze / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) on twigs, Bulgaria

David Kjaer / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) Male, Lesbos, Greece

George McCarthy / Spanish sparrow {Passer hispaniolensis} feeding on ground, Island of Lesbos, Greece.

Mathias Schaef/ BIA / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) female, Israel

Ralph Martin/ BIA / Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) female bathing, Croatia

Duncan Usher / White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) on nest, in which Spanish Sparrows (Passer hispaniolensis) are also nesting, Alentejo, Portugal

Duncan Usher / White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) on nest, in which Spanish Sparrows (Passer hispaniolensis) are also nesting, Alentejo, Portugal

Loic Poidevin / Male Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) perched on stone. Spain. February.