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House Sparrow

Scientific Name:

Passer domesticus

Type:

Bird

Habitat:

Urban, suburban, or rural areas near farms

Range:

Continental United States, Mexico, southern Canada, South America, eastern Australia, and southern Africa (introduced), Europe and Asia (native)

Status:

No listed status

This species is

NON-NATIVE

to the Truckee Meadows.

Identification:

House Sparrows are six inches in length and weigh one ounce. Males have white cheek feathers and black bibs under their beak. They are more reddish-brown than females, who have buff-brown feathers. They can be easily recognized in flocks as they are social birds that feed on the ground or in low bushes.

Fast Facts:

  • House Sparrows are tied to human life and movement. They can survive in many habitats, helping them inhabit one of the largest ranges of any wild bird.

  • Ornithologists (scientists who study birds) have recorded House Sparrows over 2,000 feet below ground in mine shafts and on observation decks of the Empire State Building!

  • These sparrows feed on seeds, grains, or insects.

  • Males with more black feathers in their bib have a higher social status than males with smaller bibs.

  • House Sparrows were largely introduced to the western states in the 1870s by birds released in Salt Lake City and San Francisco.

  • They are in the Old World sparrow family (Latin: Passeridae).

Sources:

Contributor(s):

Hannah Quick (research & content)

Rachel Carroll (edits & page design)

Last Updated:

August 4, 2021 at 4:56:11 AM

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