About the House Sparrow

The House Sparrow is one of the most common birds to be found in many parts of the world. Native to the Great Britain, Scandinavia, northern Siberia, northern Africa, Arabia, India, and Burma, the House Sparrow can now be seen in other areas around the world. Having been introduced to locations other than its native habitat, the House Sparrow is now a common bird is areas such as southern parts of Africa, south and north America, Australia, and New Zealand.

This bird has become so common and well known all over the world that its name has been shortened to merely sparrow. Yet despite its commonness, or perhaps because of it, the House Sparrow is well loved by many a birdwatcher. At present, it is approximated that House Sparrows number around 150 million in continental North America alone. Concerned bird lovers, however, are quick to point out that recent studies show that the House Sparrow population is rapidly declining due to changes in agricultural activity all across the continent.

The House Sparrow is a small bird, similar to the native North American sparrow. There are some differences, however. For one, the House Sparrow is shorter and stockier. More so, the House Sparrow has shorter legs. As for coloring, the House Sparrow is brown with some streaking. The underbelly and chest are normally gray and with no streaking. During the mating season, however, the male House Sparrow changes its plumage in order to attract a mate. Its crown remains gray with a chestnut border which runs down to the back of its neck. Its cheeks and the sides of its neck are white. Sometimes, a black bib exists from the front of its eye down to the throat. Just like with many other birds, the female House Sparrow is different from the male in that it does not have the brighter plumage and instead retains the dull brown and grayish coloring.

House Sparrows inhabit areas which are populated by humans. They are cheerful birds which you would hear cheeping all throughout the day. Both male and female House Sparrows cheep although females have been found to cheep more when it does not have a mate yet. These gregarious birds are sociable yet they tend to group together in looser colonies than other birds. Their tendency is to protect the small territory around their nests, which may be situated from a distance from other nests.

About the House Sparrow

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