The Rock Sparrow (Petronia petronia) is a large stocky sparrow, 15–17 cm 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. 
It breeds on barren rocky hills from the Iberian peninsula and western north Africa across southern Europe and through central Asia.

Madeira, Portugal, 1 November 2013