Turkestan House Sparrow Passer domesticus bactrianus

Turkestan House Sparrow
Turkestan House Sparrow
Turkestan House Sparrow
The Turkestan House Sparrow used to be classed as a subspecies of the Indian House Sparrow, which itself used to be classed as a separate genus, Passer indicus. Both the Indian (Passer domesticus indicus), and the Turkestan (P. d. bactrianus) are now usually considered among the 12 subspecies of House Sparrow.
Turkestan House Sparrow male
Turkestan House Sparrow male
Turkestan House Sparrow
The male has the grey crown of the House Sparrow but is brighter chestnut with bright white cheeks (not grey) and an extended black bib.
Turkestan House Sparrow
Turkestan House Sparrow Turkestan Sparrow in foreground (grey crown not visible)
Turkestan House Sparrow Streakier Spanish Sparrows in background
It breeds in southern Kazakhstan, northern Iran and Afghanistan and winters in northern India. The Turkestan and Indian House Sparrows are rural birds with the Tree Sparrow taking the urban niche in their regions.
Turkestan House Sparrow female Female
Turkestan House Sparrow female Female is like the nominal House Sparrow
Turkestan House Sparrow hybrid? This may be a hybrid Common and Turkestan with grey speckled ears?
All photos above were taken by Alexandra Makhnina at an oasis in Kazakhstan where Turkestan Sparrows were present with Common House Sparrows and the Central Asian subspecies of Spanish Sparrow. Hybrids occur.