This sparrow breeds on barren rocky hills from the Iberian peninsula and western north Africa across southern Europe and through central Asia.

This species is a large stocky sparrow, 15–17cm in length, with a strong whitish supercilium and weaker crown stripe.
The Rock Sparrow is very shy during the breeding season, but outside this period, this species is gregarious.

Madeira, Portugal, 1 November 2013