Age, sex and season related biometrics of the dead sea sparrow Passer moabiticus

Aims: Analyse age and sex related dynamics and biometric differences in Dead Sea Sparrows Passer moabiticus. Location: Eilat, Israel. Methods: Data were collected during 18 springs and 17 autumns in the years 1984-2001. To date, a total of 2761 Dead Sea Sparrows have been ringed at Eilat. Results: A significant difference was found in the proportion of juveniles over the year with smaller numbers of juveniles trapped in spring. The dates of catching for sexes and age during spring and autumn have not changed over the years (1984-2001). Differences in biometric measurements between the two sexes were recorded. Males had longer wing chords and were heavier than females in both the migration seasons. In spring, adult females were heavier than juveniles. The analyses of the body condition index showed, that only in spring, in both the sexes, adults were in better body condition than the first year birds. Conclusions: The results suggest that Eilat is an important staging and wintering site for the non-breeding population of the Dead Sea Sparrow in the region.