Wildlife
House sparrows are perhaps the most cosmopolitan of all birds, and have lived alongside humans since the Stone Age. These small, streaky-brown birds were once a very common sight in the United Kingdom. Sadly, they are now rather rare, their numbers having declined at an alarming rate over the past 25 years. House sparrows are very sociable, nesting colonially in crevices, holes and boxes, and even evicting swallows and martins from their nests. They breed so rapidly, their eggs were once believed to be a powerful aphrodisiac.
Did you know?
A house sparrow's retina has 400,000 photoreceptors per square millimetre.
All you need to know about British birds.
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Cockney sparrer
As well as ravens, the Tower of London boasts a house sparrow colony.
As well as ravens, the Tower of London boasts a house sparrow colony.
Unfortunate neighbours
The house sparrow's dependence on us has been both curse and blessing.
The house sparrow's dependence on us has been both curse and blessing.
Anti-sparrow clubs
Considered a threat to the wartime food supply, sparrows had a price on their heads.
Considered a threat to the wartime food supply, sparrows had a price on their heads.
Bibs on for lunch
The size of a house sparrow's bib indicates its place in the pecking order.
The size of a house sparrow's bib indicates its place in the pecking order.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The House sparrow can be found in a number of locations including: Africa, Asia, China, Europe, Indian subcontinent, Mediterranean, Russia, South America, United Kingdom, Wales. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the House sparrow distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Year assessed: 2009
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. A small bird, it has a typical length of 16 cm (6.3 in) and a weight of 24–39.5 g (0.85–1.39 oz). Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia. Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird.
The House Sparrow is strongly associated with human habitations, and can live in urban or rural settings. Though found in widely varied habitats and climates, it typically avoids extensive woodlands, grasslands, and deserts away from human development. It feeds mostly on the seeds of grains and weeds, but it is an opportunistic eater and commonly eats insects and many other foods. Its predators include domestic cats, hawks, owls, and many other predatory birds and mammals.
Because of its numbers, ubiquity and association with human settlements, the sparrow is culturally prominent. It is extensively, and usually unsuccessfully, persecuted as an agricultural pest, but it has also often been kept as a pet as well as being a food item and a symbol of lust and sexual potency, as well as of commonness and vulgarity. Though it is widespread and abundant, its numbers have declined in some areas. The animal's conservation status is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
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Garden birds
Nestcam close-ups, expert identification guides and specialist wildlife cameras give a privileged view of a very British obsession: garden birds.
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Farmland
Brownfield land
Parkland
Urban
Helpless young
Predation defence
Colonial
Hierarchical
Adapted to flying
Acoustic communication
Monogamous
Moulting
Egg layer
Parental investment
Social
Sexual dimorphism
Territorial
Visual communication