Passer montanus, Tree Sparrow

Common Name: Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus, more commonly known as the Tree Sparrow, is smaller than the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and more active, with its tail almost permanently cocked, it has a chestnut brown head and nape (rather than grey), and white cheeks and collar with a contrasting black cheek spot.

They are shyer than house sparrows in the UK and are not associated with man, although in continental Europe they often nest in buildings just like house sparrows. The UK tree sparrow population has suffered a severe decline, estimated at 93 per cent between 1970 and 2008. However, recent Breeding Bird Survey data suggests that numbers may have started to increase, albeit from a very low point.

The tree sparrow is scarcer in the uplands, and the far north and west of the UK. The main populations are now found across the Midlands, southern and eastern England. Best looked for in hedgerows and woodland edges. Feeding on seeds and insects, they are present all year round in the UK.

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