What is "petronia"

The petronias or rock sparrows are a genus, Petronia, of sparrows. Most species are found in Africa with some species ranging in Asia and even Europe. Petronia is a local name for the rock sparrow from the Bologna area of Italy.

There are five species:

• Yellow-spotted petronia, Petronia pyrgita
• Yellow-throated sparrow (or chestnut-shouldered petronia), Petronia xanthocollis
• Yellow-throated petronia, Petronia superciliaris
• Bush petronia, Petronia dentata
• Rock sparrow, Petronia petronia

The pale rockfinch, also known as the pale rock sparrow, is sometimes placed in the genus Petronia, but it is generally assigned to a genus of its own, Carpospiza.