File talk:Bird 1530786 N.jpg

@Nevit: I wonder if this is a Spanish Sparrow, Passer hispaniolensis, because its belly is quite heavily streaked for a House Sparrow, and the head and neck are a bit stocky. Any idea, or photos from other angles? Pretty cool bird you photographed anyway. I've seen full albino House Sparrows myself, but not leucistic ones. —innotata 03:32, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

Thank you @Innotata: Unfortunately it is the only photo I have from that bird. I was not sure about Identity. @MPF: identified it as Passer domesticus. --Nevit Dilmen (talk) 18:46, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

Interesting thought on the possibility of Spanish. I wondered, but went for House on the fact that leucism / partial albinism is far more common in urban birds (likely due to lower populations of [and therefore lower predation rates by] raptors). Urban "predators" (cars, windows, domestic cats) are less likely to select for conspicuous individuals like this. An exact location / habitat would help (can you remember please, @Nevit: ?). - MPF (talk) 20:25, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

That's a pretty shaky ID, because House Sparrows are only marginally more urban than Spanish Sparrows. —innotata 20:40, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

Thanks @MPF: @Innotata: EXIF location info is almost accurate.

Camera location	40° 57′ 41.35″ N, 29° 04′ 12.37″ E	View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap

--Nevit Dilmen (talk) 20:44, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

Thanks! I'd make that House; I certainly can't see Spanish occurring in inner suburban Istanbul. @Innotata: - depends on where you are; Spanish are only strongly urbanised in the absence of House (e.g. Tenerife), or where there is extensive introgression. In areas where both occur but without extensive introgression (e.g. Bulgaria [pers. obs.] and Turkey [pers. obs.]), Spanish are pushed out to rural / small village locations. - MPF (talk) 21:00, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

House Sparrows are more likely to be nesting, so that's not conclusive; based on the literature, the tendency you bring up isn't that strong. I would not be so confident, but it does seem like it is a House Sparrow, so I won't argue that much. —innotata 21:33, 3 August 2014 (UTC)