Status and distribution Breeds in North Africa from Western Sahara and extreme north Mauretania, through most of Morocco and the northern third of Algeria to Tunisia and coastal Libya with isolated outposts in north Cyrenaica and extreme north-west Egypt, and south-west Libya. Also found on Gibraltar and Sardinia, and in the Canary Is on Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera and Fuerteventura, probably through introductions.

Subspecies Several races occur, Sardinian and Gibraltar birds are identical to the nominate barbara from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. West Saharan spatzi is paler, Canarian birds resemble those from north-west Morocco and are usually grouped together as ssp koenigi, darker grey above and on chest than nominate with deeper cinnamon breast. Most distinct race is geographically isolated barbata from north-east Libya-north-west Egypt, more reddish above, blue-grey face and sides to head, deep cinnamon gorget spotted with white.

Habitat Desert, semi-desert and dry grassland, wadis, scrub and open woodland , dry, rocky slopes from lowlands up to 3500m.