WINTER BACKYARD BIRDS (U.S. AND CANADA)

House Sparrow

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Passer Domesticus

Males have dark chestnut upperparts with black streaks on back and scapulars, a conspicuous white wing bar on their upperwing. Flight feathers are brown and edged with darker brown, tail is dark brown and the rump is grayish.

They have pale grayish underparts that strongly contrast with their black chin and bib. Their gray crown and the nape are bordered with reddish-chestnut from the rear eye, through ear-coverts, and finishing on neck sides, cheeks are greyish- white, and eyes are dark brown dark with black lores.

They show duller, less extended bib, and a duller plumage, less reddish, paler bill (in winter).

Females have a rather brown plumage streaked with black on the upperparts, and grayish below, lack of black bib, and presence of a buffy-white eyebrow. The bill is yellowish and the crown is brown.

Juveniles resemble females.

BILL: stout and conical.

SIZE: measures about 5.5 - 6.3 inches in length, with a wingspan of 7.5 - 9.8 inches.

WEIGHT: weighs about 25 - 32 grams.

COLOR: dark chestnut, reddish chestnut, black, white, gray, grayish-white, dark brown, brown, and yellow.

Grains and seeds, as well as livestock feed and, in cities, discarded food, and insects.

Typical call is a strong “chii-ip”, and a short and monotonous “chip”. Utters short, repeated and fast sounds, when excited and a short “chwiiit” when it flies.

The song is a series of chirp and repeated squealings.

They hop rather than walk on the ground, and are social, feeding in crowded flocks and squabbling over crumbs or seeds on the ground.

They are a common sight at bird feeders.

NEST: Both adults build the nest with dry grasses, feathers, strings, and bits of paper, in crevices, holes or cavities in or on the constructions, under the roofs or in holes in trees.

EGGS: 3 - 5 eggs, grayish-white with dark gray and purplish spots.

INCUBATION: 10 - 14 days, mainly by the female, male while the female is feeding.

NESTLING PHASE: 10-14 days.