House Sparrow
Recognise!
Male house sparrows has a grey crown surrounded by dark brown with chestnut tones covering the eyes until the back of the neck. They also show a black chest patch called bib or badge progressively fading towards the chest. The upper back is brown with streaked with black. Cheeks and chest are of a pale grey while the sides of the neck are white. Outside of the breeding season, males are of a duller coloration with buff tips on many feathers and no black bib. Females and juveniles are mostely buff. House sparrows are highly adaptable. They inhabit mostly human dominated areas being found in villages as well as large cities. They occur nonetheless in the wider countryside outside of human settlements.
Did you know?
House sparrows originate from the wooded steppes of the Middle East and have gradually expanded their range with the developpement of agriculture. Today the occur on all continents except Antarctica.
House sparrows are equally flexible in choosing their nesting sites. Being predominantly a cavity breeder, the sparrow is capable of quite readily occupying a wide variety of cavities in stone walls, beneath rooftops, in window shade boxes, nest boxes, etc. House sparrows reproduce 2-3 times a year and predominantly feed on insects, although adults mainly eat grains.
Outside of the breeding season, house sparrows gather in groups and form dormitories.
