Wow Titus,
This is very very interesting. Were the Somali in Isalo yellow fulgens
or like the somali nominate. Please do find the sparrow images, If you
had them at Garsen they would help explain a range extension because
just having the birds in Sala Gate with nothing known south of 1.3
degrees north in coastal Somalia is the biggest mystery of all. There
are not even any records for Mogadishu, all are north of that.

Very best for now
Brian

On 4/2/13, Titus Imboma <timboma@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dear Brian,
>
> Thanks for sharing this interesting information. As I was trapping some
> House sparrows in Isiolo two years ago( Isiolo primary school to be
> specific), I came across the Somali Sparrow with entirely rufous head.
> Unfortunately I was not able to trap one. Yes it was feeding on the ground
> together with with the House sparrows. I witnessed same at Garsen. but here
> the there more Somali sparrows and will go through my photos because I
> captured birds I thought were females as well.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Titus.
>
> --- On Sat, 3/30/13, Brian Finch <birdfinch@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Brian Finch <birdfinch@gmail.com>
> Subject: [KENYABIRDSNET] OBSERVATIONS OF THE SELEMPO SPARROW AT SALA GATE,
> TSAVO EAST NATIONAL PARK.
> To: "kenyabirdsnet" <kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com>
> Cc: "birdfinch" <birdfinch@gmail.com>, "Birding Africa (Callan Cohen)"
> <callanafrica@gmail.com>
> Date: Saturday, March 30, 2013, 1:33 PM
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>       OBSERVATIONS OF THE SELEMPO SPARROW AT SALA GATE,
>
> TSAVO EAST NATIONAL PARK.
>
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>
> A year ago, Edwin Selempo was at Sala Gate with some clients, and when
>
> looking through the House Sparrows present, noticed something very
>
> different. There were House Sparrows, in amongst the House Sparrows
>
> that had entirely rich chestnut-brown heads.
>
> In January this year he showed them to David Fisher, they were still
>
> in the same location and David managed a few images. These images were
>
> then circulated to a few people for comment, and all agreed that there
>
> was something very interesting about the Selempo Sparrow.
>
> On the coast of Somalia, but in the northern hemisphere is the
>
> nominate race of Somali Sparrow, unlike our colourful yellowish race
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> fulgens, these birds lack the yellow and instead show white cheeks and
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> no yellow on the underparts.
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> The conclusion amongst the few that were asked to comment was that
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> these were for the best part the first nominate Somali Sparrow for
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> East Africa, maybe unfairly it was mooted that they might be hybrid.
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> On 23rd March, Mike Davidson, Nigel Hunter and myself were heading off
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> to the coast for a few days, and were staying that night and the
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> return night in Satao Camp in the eastern part of Tsavo East. We
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> wanted to get some information on the birds as we passed through. They
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> were not at the entrance gate, but at the Artefact Duka only fifty
>
> metres away. Here they fed on the ground with normal House Sparrows,
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> and the staff fed the birds and also provided a bird bath. They looked
>
> content with their lot! We estimated that there were five male Selempo
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> Sparrows, and did not know what the females looked like or if they
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> would be separable from female House Sparrow. (One of the images with
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> a male shows a female with unmarked shoulders, that may be it).
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> We studied the birds, took images and video, and on the return journey
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> were able to show them to Fleur Ng’Weno. We made a very good contact
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> with a KWS fellow at the gate, who was most interested and wanted to
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> assist in trapping the birds for blood specimens. These details have
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> been sent to Colin Jackson who will handle the project. It will be
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> interesting to see how the dna also compares with their House Sparrow
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> friends, to see if there has been some dilution.
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> We looked carefully at the birds, and could not see any sign that they
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> were hybridising.
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> The males showed all chestnut heads, very bright white cheeks unlike
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> the dirty white of House Sparrow, the entire underparts instead of
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> being the dirty white of House Sparrow were an attractive soft grey.
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> We thought it better to call them Selempo Sparrow as Edwin deserves
>
> all the credit for bringing attention to them, until we can confirm
>
> that they are Somali Sparrow of the nominate race, which I personally
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> feel they are.
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> How nominate Somali Sparrow males differ from House Sparrow males.
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> S has entirely chestnut top to head continuous to base of bill.
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> H has entirely grey top to head from base of bill, chestnut only on
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> sides of head.
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> S adults show extensive black breast patch with scalloping down to breast.
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> H usually has more confined patch, most lacking scalloped effect.
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> S has pure white cheek patch sharply contrasting with soft grey underparts.
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> H has white cheeks and grey tinged underparts, but not contrasting.
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> S has no conspicuous white band across carpal.
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> H invariably shows obvious white band across carpal.
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> S has entirely rich rufous secondary coverts.
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> H shows the edges of  the secondary coverts rufous brown, most of
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> inner edge of feather black.
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> S has pale grey back with silvery grey and black streaks.
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> H shows rufous-brown back with cream and blackish streaking.
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> S Show rufous edging to primaries
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> H show creamy-brown edges to primaries.
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> The Selempo Sparrows at Sala Gate show every one of these nominate
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> castanopterus characters. There is no indication of these appearing in
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> the House Sparrows, but no two House Sparrows are alike, they are
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> always so highly variable.
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> Whilst dna testing will tell, I cannot see how they could ever be
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> freakish House Sparrows or hybrids with some other Kenyan Sparrow.
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> Now we come to the question of provenance. I have no explanation.
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> In Somalia this form occurs along the coast as far south as 1o North
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> but not even reaching Mogadishu (as far as is known).  Could it have
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> come as ship assisted, landed in Malindi as multiple individuals,
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> which seems so unlikely, then followed the road to Tsavo East.
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> Could there be little populations scattered in the bush that has
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> allowed for again multiple birds to arrive at Sala Gate. Is it
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> possible that they are out there and no-one has noticed them until
>
> Edwin found them?
>
>
>
> I would imagine that these questions won’t ever be answered, but there
>
> is no denying that they are there.
>
>
>
> Best to all,
>
> Brian
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