The House Sparrow

I remember as a child seeing enormous flocks of these birds. In fact, they were so common, that literally every garden was inundated with them. Hard to believe therefore that the Common Sparrow is now on the endangered list!

The reduction in their numbers in the past 40 years, is quite simply horrifying and we should all do everything we can to support these wonderful birds, before we lose them for good.

all images taken with my Nikon D500 and a variety of Nikon lenses.

Male House Sparrow

Although still percieved as common and numerous, the House Sparrow has suffered considerable declines in its population, with estimates putting the figure for decline at up to 90% from 1977 up to 2018. There are believed to be a number of reasons for this decline, with a reduction in invertebrate food during the breeding season and fewer suitable nesting sites both being key.

Female House Sparrow

The male House Sparrow has a black bib with grey cheeks, crown and rump. The female is more uniformly brown with a paler front. Juveniles resemble the female. The House Sparrow has a persistent chirping call, particularly when the male is calling to attract a mate.

There is probably no other bird that has evolved to exploit mankind on a near global scale in the way the House Sparrow has. Despite this success over many millennia though, the species has suffered massive declines in its population since the 1970s.

The House Sparrow’s diet is highly varied and this has unquestionably been a factor in its global spread as a species. It will eat meat and vegetable scraps discarded as waste (though such food is not recommended for intentional feeding in gardens), seeds, grain, buds and a wide variety of insects and other invertebrates.

When feeding young, insects and other invertebrates become the main food source and the increasing lack of such food (due to intensive farming, sterile cityscapes and tidy gardens) has played a major part in the decline of the species in some parts of Europe. For this reason, providing live mealworms in the breeding season for the adults to feed to their young can make a huge difference to breeding success. Outside of the breeding season, House Sparrows will happily feed on almost any bird food put out for them.

House Sparrows are very sociable and like to feed and roost in flocks. If you see one you will know there are lots more hanging around. All you will need to do is throw a few seeds down in the garden and wait for the crowd to arrive. They can be quite noisy when they are together and you will hear them making a single chirping sound which they repeat over and over again.

Their level of tolerance, providing another House Sparrow doesn't break the territorial area immediately around the entrance to the nest, can be observed by putting up special House Sparrow nest boxes where three holes and nesting chambers are side-by-side. If all three nest sites are taken, the three pairs will live in harmony until the point that one of the birds gets too close to an adjoining entrance hole.

During the mating season the male House Sparrow chooses a nesting site and chirps there to attract a female. When a female flies past he chirps even louder and quicker to make himself more noticed. Sometimes he will follow a female for a short distance and quiver his feathers to grab her attention as he hops around her. Pairs usually stay together for life but if a mate is lost a new partner is found very quickly, usually within a few days.

The nest is a somewhat untidy structure which can consist of a wide variety of materials, depending on what is available. Plant stems, grasses, straw, paper, string and other discarded rubbish. The soft lining will also be made of what’s available, and include materials such as hair, wool and feathers.

Between three to five eggs are normally laid, with both the male and female birds doing the incubation. The young hatch at between eleven and fourteen days, but each on successive days because the female will have laid one egg per day on successive days. Two to three clutches are normal, though occasionally – and if sufficient food is available – a fourth clutch will be attempted. Both male and female birds feed the young. Breeding usually takes place in loose colonies.