Passer domesticus, House Sparrow

Common Name: House Sparrow

Passer domesticus, more commonly known as the House Sparrow, is approximately 15cm in length with streaked brown back and wings and a stout bill in both sexes. The male is discernable by his grey crown and black eyes and bib. The female has a brown crown, no bib, but has a lighter coloured head stripe running from front to back across the eyes.

Eats mainly seeds, insects and spiders, but will eat almost anything on the bird table in winter. Gregarious at all times. Their nest, usually wedged into a hole or on a building ledge, often amongst ivy and other creepers, is an untidy mass of grass and straw, often with paper and string, and lined with hair and feathers. Sometimes they are built in a hedge, and these are usually a neater, domed structure.

Found in parks, gardens and neighbouring fields and hedgerows; rarely far from human habitation. Present throughout the UK but suffered a decline through the 1990's, although seems to be making a strong recovery.

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