About the House Sparrow
The house sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of 16 cm (6.3 in) and a mass of 24–39.5 g (0.85–1.39 oz). Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings. One of 28 species in the genus Passer, the house sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and a large part of Asia. Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australasia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The plumage of the house sparrow is mostly different shades of grey and brown. The sexes exhibit strong dimorphism: the female is mostly buffish above and below, while the male has boldly coloured head markings, a reddish back, and grey underparts. The male has a dark grey crown from the top of its bill to its back, and chestnut brown flanking its crown on the sides of its head. It has black around its bill, on its throat, and on the spaces between its bill and eyes (lores). Voice: Most house sparrow vocalisations are variations on its short and frequent chirping call. Transcribed as chirrup, tschilp, or philip, this note is made as a contact call by flocking or resting birds; or by males to proclaim nest ownership and invite pairing.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the House Sparrow sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Mali, Martinique, Cameroon, Japan, Malta.
When to see it
Peak activity in May · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusThe tree sparrow is 12.5–14 cm (5–5+1⁄2 in) long, with a wingspan of about 21 cm (8.3 in) and a weight of 24 g (0.85 oz), making it roughly 10% smaller than the house sparrow.
Cape SparrowPasser melanurusFor a sparrow, the Cape sparrow is strikingly coloured and distinctive, and is medium-sized at 14–16 cm (5.5–6.3 in) long.
Southern Grey-headed SparrowPasser diffususThe southern grey-headed sparrow is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae.
Side by side: Eurasian Tree Sparrow vs House Sparrow · Cape Sparrow vs House Sparrow
Learn the House Sparrow for real
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