house sparrow (Passer domesticus)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

 

IDENTIFICATION:

• Length: 4.25 inches

• Small, seed-eating bird

• Thick, conical bill

• Pink legs

• Extremely common in urban and agricultural areas

Adult male:

• Gray crown

• Black throat, upper breast, and small mask; less black on throat in            winter

• Grayish side of neck and underparts

• Rusty-brown nape and upperparts

• Black streaks on back

• White patch in wing

• Gray rump

• Black bill in summer; yellowish in winter

Female and immature:

• Gray-brown crown

• Buffy line extends rearward from eye bordered below by gray-brown line

• Grayish-white underparts

• Black and tawny streaks on back

• Black wing feathers with wide tawny edges

• White patch on wing

• Yellow bill

• Immature males lack full throat patch of adults

Similar species:

The adult male house sparrow is quite distinctive but might be confused
with the very local Eurasian tree sparrow (St. Louis, Missouri). The
Eurasian tree sparrow has a black spot on the ear coverts and an
entirely brown crown. The female house sparrow looks somewhat
similar to a number of species of sparrows but has unstreaked
underparts, tawny streaks on the back, and a large yellowish bill.
The female dickcissel also has a large bill but it is gray, not yellow,
and usually has some yellow in the face and a rusty patch in the wing.

 

LIFE HISTORY

Migration Status: Permanent resident
Breeding Habitat: Urban
Nest Location: Mid-story/canopy nesting
Nest Type: N/A
Clutch Size: 3-7
Length of Incubation: 10-13 days
Days to Fledge: 14-17
Number of Broods: 2, often 3
Diet: Almost exclusively seeds; lesser quantities of insects

 

SKY MEADOWS DISTRIBUTION/SEASONAL OCCURRENCE

 

Relative abundance and seasonal occurrence are indicated in red below.

 

Relative abundance
     C - Common: Likely to be present in good numbers in appropriate habitat and season.
     U - Uncommon: May be present in appropriate habitat and season, often in low
            numbers.
     O - Occassional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times per season,
            sometimes low numbers.
     R - Rare: May not be recorded every year.
     Acc - Accidental: Recorded once or twice, may not be expected again for a long time.

 

Seasonal Occurrence
      Sp - Spring: March, April, May C
      Su - Summer: June, July, August C
      Fall: September, October, November C

      Winter: December, January, February C

 

 

 

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