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House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Scientific name: Passer domesticus

Family: sparrow, wagtails, dunnocks

Wingspan: 21 - 25cm (8 - 10")

Diet: A diverse diet, they consume nuts, berries, peanuts, insects and suet

Feed with: Sunflower hearts, seed mixes, peanuts & mealworm

Habitat: House Sparrow are gregarious little birds and are often found in city centres, farmland and gardens. Being an all-year-round bird, you'll see them all the time. They are never far away.

Lifespan: 3 Years

House Sparrow Characteristics

THE HOUSE SPARROW is a cheerful, gregarious bird that is familiar to most homes and gardens in the UK. Although there's an unfortunate decline in numbers in England (around 71 percent decline between 1977 and 2008), recent research suggests the house sparrow is in fact increasing in Wales and Scotland.

The house sparrow is easy to spot in most gardens. It has a grey underbelly, chestnut brown back and wings and white wing bar and a short beak. The song of the house sparrow is quite sporadic and eclectic - listen to the chirp of the house sparrow below

House Sparrow Breeding & Nesting

HOUSE SPARROW BREEDING begins in May, somewhat later than most other wild British garden birds. With the bird being gregarious in nature, especially around humans, they tend to nest around human domestic habitats, including holes and crevices in buildings. They will also use nesting boxes if these are placed in the garden.

HOUSE SPARROW NESTS are often untidy affairs, being built from materials such as paper, twigs, straw and string. The classic shape of a house sparrow's nest is cup-shaped. Their eggs are white and covered in brownish-grey spots. The incubation period lasts between 11 - 14 days and, once hatched, both parents feed the young.

House Sparrow Feeding

THE HOUSE SPARROW'S DIET is diverse and covers a large range of edibles, including nuts, seeds, berries, insects and scraps. Watch out, the house sparrow is keen to raid the bin!

IN THE GARDEN, attracting house sparrows is easy with almost any type of food. Feeders are ideal as they will provide a good way to observe the birds feeding, and ideal food would be seed mixes, suet for high protein and energy, as well as wild bird peanuts.

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