The Spanish sparrow or willow sparrow is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It is found in the Mediterranean region and south-west and central Asia. It is very similar to the closely related house sparrow, and the two species show their close relation in a "biological mix-up" of hybridisation in the Mediterranean region, which complicates the taxonomy of this species.
Socotra or Saqatri is an island of the Republic of Yemen in the Indian Ocean. Lying between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea and near major shipping routes, Socotra is the largest of the four islands in the Socotra archipelago. Since 2013, the archipelago has constituted the Socotra Governorate.
Henry Ogg Forbes was a Scottish explorer, ornithologist, and botanist. He also described a new species of spider, Thomisus decipiens.
The Kenya sparrow, also known as the Kenya rufous sparrow, is a sparrow found in Kenya and Tanzania. It tends to be found in dry wooded savannah and agricultural areas. Some authorities have lumped the great sparrow (P. motitensis), the Kenya sparrow, and the Socotra sparrow (P. insularis) into P. motitensis following Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993). Some authorities also lump Shelley's sparrow and the Kordofan sparrow with this species, or all three with the great sparrow.
The great sparrow, also known as the southern rufous sparrow, is found in southern Africa in dry, wooded savannah and towns.
The Sind sparrow is a passerine bird of the sparrow family, Passeridae, found around the Indus valley region in South Asia specially Sindh. It is also known as the jungle, Sind jungle, or rufous-backed sparrow. Very similar to the related house sparrow, it is smaller and has distinguishing plumage features. As in the house sparrow, the male has brighter plumage than female and young birds, including black markings and a grey crown. Distinctively, the male has a chestnut stripe running down its head behind the eye, and the female has a darker head than other sparrow species. Its main vocalisations are soft chirping calls that are extended into longer songs with other sounds interspersed by breeding males. Historically, this species was thought to be very closely related to the house sparrow, but its closest evolutionary affinities may lie elsewhere. The species was discovered around 1840, but went undetected for several decades afterwards.
Abd al Kuri is a rocky island in the Guardafui Channel. As a part of the Socotra Archipelago of the Socotra Governorate of Yemen, it lies about 65 miles (105 km) southwest of the island of Socotra. It consists of granite and diorite covered by limestone.
The Socotra starling is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is endemic to Socotra island, which is off the southeast coast of Yemen.
The Socotra bunting is a species of bird in the family Emberizidae.
The Socotra Island xeric shrublands is a terrestrial ecoregion that covers the large island of Socotra and several smaller islands that constitute the Socotra Archipelago. The archipelago is in the western Indian Ocean, east of the Horn of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula. Politically the archipelago is part of Yemen, and lies south of the Yemeni mainland.
The Kordofan sparrow, also known as the Kordofan rufous sparrow, is a sparrow found only in southwestern Sudan and adjacent border regions of South Sudan and Chad. It is frequently considered a subspecies of the Kenya sparrow, which in turn is considered a subspecies of the great sparrow.
The Abd al-Kuri sparrow is a passerine bird endemic to the small island of Abd al Kuri in the Socotra archipelago of the Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Africa. Though this species was originally described as a distinct species, it was subsequently considered conspecific with the Socotra sparrow. A study by Guy Kirwan showed significant differences from the Socotra sparrow, and that the two sparrows might even have different origins. On the evidence that it is morphologically distinct, BirdLife International recognised it as a species, and it was listed in the IOC World Bird List from December 2009. It has a very restricted distribution, and a population of under 1,000 individuals, so despite not having any known threats it is considered a Vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List.
Scelidomachus socotranus is a species of spider found on the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean. It is the only member of its genus.
The wildlife of Yemen is substantial and varied. Yemen is a large country in the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula with several geographic regions, each with a diversity of plants and animals adapted to their own particular habitats. As well as high mountains and deserts, there is a coastal plain and long coastline. The country has links with Europe and Asia, and the continent of Africa is close at hand. The flora and fauna have influences from all these regions and the country also serves as a staging post for migratory birds.
Nephila sumptuosa, the red-legged golden orb-web spider, is a species of golden orb-web spider.
Dimizonops is a monotypic genus of Asian crab spiders containing the single species, Dimizonops insularis. It was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1903, and is found on Socotra.
The Socotra leaf-toed gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to the island of Abd al-Kuri in the Socotra archipelago.
Mesalina kuri is a species of sand-dwelling lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the island of Abd al Kuri in the Socotra Archipelago of Yemen.
Trachylepis cristinae, also known commonly as the Abd al Kuri skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Yemen.
