biology

Timor sparrow

Timor sparrow is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Timor sparrow rather than just read about it. In short: The Timor sparrow (Padda fuscata), also known as Timor dusky sparrow, is a small passerine bird. The bird inhabits the grasslands and lowlands of the Timor archipelago with its distribution typically sparse.

Key takeaways

Timor sparrow belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Timor sparrow to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Timor sparrow from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Timor sparrow (Padda fuscata), also known as Timor dusky sparrow, is a small passerine bird. The bird inhabits the grasslands and lowlands of the Timor archipelago with its distribution typically sparse. Its diet consists mainly of rice and seeds and is considered a rice pest in Timor-Leste. The Timor sparrow is closely related to the Java sparrow and is listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Taxonomy It was formerly classified in the genus Lonchura, and some taxonomists still place this species, along with the Java sparrow, in that genus.

Description The Timor sparrow is an approximately 14 cm (5.5 in) long, plump dark brown songbird with a large silvery-blue bill, white cheek, pink feet and creamy-white belly. Both sexes are similar. Its appearance resembles the closely related Java sparrow, but it is smaller and has different coloured plumage.

Distribution and habitat The Timor sparrow is restricted to Timor-Leste, West Timor, and the nearby islands of Semau and Rote. While it occurs widely throughout this range, its distribution tends to be sparse and patchy. In certain localities, the species can be moderately common. For example, surveys along the Laivai River in Timor-Leste documented several groups of 30 to 50 birds within a small area over a short timeframe, indicating that the total population in that region likely numbers in the thousands. Local reports have also noted flocks ranging from several hundred to thousands of individuals. The Timor sparrow primarily inhabits the extreme lowlands but may be found at elevations up to around 700 metres. It is generally observed alone or in small groups of three to five birds, sometimes associating with mixed flocks of other seed-eating species. The species forages on or near the ground in a variety of habitats including grassland, lightly wooded cattle pastures, scrub, overgrown gardens, and degraded deciduous or monsoon forests, as well as along the margins of cultivated land. In Timor-Leste, it has been recorded in Eucalyptus alba savanna, rice paddies, heavily degraded coastal shrublands, and riparian woodlands dominated by Casuarina species.

Relationships with humans Considered a significant rice pest in Timor-Leste, the species has likely benefited from the expansion of rice cultivation, which provides prolonged access to grains and water. Due to ongoing habitat loss, limited range and illegal trapping for cage-bird trade, the Timor sparrow is evaluated as near threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

References

Works cited Restall, Robin (2010). Munias and Mannikins. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4081-3545-7.

External links BirdLife International.org: Lonchura fuscata species factsheet Red Data Book.id: Lonchura fuscata

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Timor sparrow

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Timor sparrow claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Timor sparrow before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Timor sparrow ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Timor sparrow

In research: Timor sparrow appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Timor sparrow in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Timor sparrow is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Birds described in 1817, Birds of Timor, Birds of the Lesser Sunda Islands, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Timor sparrow outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Timor sparrow in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Timor sparrow means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Timor sparrow out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Timor sparrow in simple terms?

Why does Timor sparrow matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Timor sparrow?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Timor sparrow.