What is a Baby Sparrow's Diet?

In the U.S., sparrows are among the most common birds and include small brown and gray perching birds. Originally, sparrow referred to any small bird. Adult birds feed their young until 28 to 80 days old.

  1. Diet

    • The blind nestlings rely on both parents for food. An insect diet can consist of caterpillars, alfalfa weevils, flies, bark beetle larvae, grasshoppers, periodic cicadas and dung beetles. This diet is juicy, protein-rich and easily digestible.

    Diet in Stages

    • A house sparrow from 1 to 3 days old can have a diet of invertebrates, or animals without a backbone, that comprises 90 percent of its diet. By 7 days old, invertebrates comprise 49 percent of the diet. Nestlings generally consume a diet of 68 percent insects and 30 percent livestock feed.

    Feeding Innovation

    • According to Portland State University, Savannah sparrows can employ feeding innovations or exploit different kinds of food resources. In southern California, for example, a fledgling sparrow accompanied an adult that caught a female fiddler crab's eggs. The fledgling learned to chase this crab, consume the eggs and not injure the crab.