Things You'll Need
- A box nest
- Dry grass/straw
- Hay/feathers/paper
- Caterpillars/locusts
- Sparrow food
Instructions
Verify the sex and health of your sparrows. The most reliable way to do this is by taking your birds to a veterinary surgeon who can use DNA testing to determine gender. The vet can also check for problems, or warning signs of problems, such as a dirty vent. This will prevent you breeding from an ill or infected bird.
Provide a nest. While sparrows will nest in the top of hedges, this is uncommon -- they much prefer the security of a box nest, with an entrance. You can purchase pre-made nest boxes at most garden stores.
Fill the nest box with a layer of substrate such as dried grass or straw -- this is available from most pet shops, or you may be able to source it naturally. Check that the straw is not infected with insects before use, as this could be damaging to the birds.
Add a layer of a softer bedding material such as tissue paper or feathers on top of the substrate.
Keep the nest box available between April and August, when sparrows are likely to breed. Check the box regularly to see if there are eggs -- a clutch of eggs hatches approximately 14 days after it has been laid.
Provide insects for the parent sparrows to feed their young. Baby sparrows feast on a variety of insects, from caterpillars to locusts, which can be purchased from pet shops. Purchase the smallest size (usually size 1) and provide these just inside the nest door.
Offer fresh seed daily -- seed and grain are very important parts of the sparrow diet. As the chicks begin to fledge, they will begin to eat large amounts of seed.
Continue until the chicks leave the nest. They will still be dependant on their father for food for about a week, but the mother will begin to prepare for laying again almost immediately, restarting the process.