Characteristics of House Sparrows

You have probably seen house sparrows nesting near your roof, feeding in parks or perching in your trees. House sparrows once commonly referred to as English sparrows are in the cities, farmlands or anywhere you will find people. These highly adaptable songbirds are quick to take advantage of the best nesting spots and any food handouts. Let's look at some of the characteristics of house sparrows that you have come to enjoy in your yard.

Birdsongs of House Sparrows

Female sparrows will sing occasionally if they are trying to attract a mate. What you are probably hearing most often are the males trying to attract female sparrows or making an announcement to all that they have the finest nest in the whole neighborhood. Both male and female house sparrows produce birdsongs with a series of chirrup or cheeping notes. House sparrows are flocking birds and when in a large group, they can produce quite an array of birdsongs.

Identification of Male and Female House Sparrows

Male house sparrows have a black breast, throat, mask and bill with a gray cap. The wings and backside are reddish in color with black streaks and you will see an obvious white strip to the shoulder.

Female house sparrows are typically brown in color in the top portions of their body and gray tones in the under area. Their bill is yellow and both their wings and backs are brown and buff with many dark streaks. Both sexes of house sparrows run about 5 to 6 inches in length.

Nesting Habits of House Sparrows

You can be assured if a small space is big enough for house sparrows to get inside they will nest in it. These are creative little nest builders and they will be one of the first to find new homes in nesting boxes or birdhouses. They will also build nests in trees, vines or walls with string, feathers, paper and dried vegetation.

Feeding Requirements of House Sparrows

City folk know that house sparrows are often seen at any fast food restaurant in town munching on leftover burgers or discarded treats. Believe it or not, they eat seeds and grain. In rural settings, they enjoy sorghum, wheat, oats and corn. They also feed on assorted grasses, crabgrass and ragweed. You can have fun feeding them with sunflower seeds, milo and millet purchased from a store or grown yourself. When in season they feed on a variety of insects and catch them for their young.

Characteristics of Ground Feeding House Sparrows

You can attract house sparrows at just about any type of bird feeder whether it is placed high up in a tree or you sprinkle seed on the ground. House sparrows will be seen enjoying your birdbath, a mud puddle or taking a good old-fashioned dirt bath. House sparrows can lay anywhere between 1 to 8 bluish green speckled eggs that take approximately two weeks to hatch.

Sources:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/lifehistory

http://birding.about.com/od/birdprofiles/p/prohousesparrow.htm

http://birding.about.com/od/birdprofiles/a/hosphistory.htm