Bird Identification: Sparrows

Sparrows may be the most familiar of all North American birds. There are over 30 types of Sparrows in North America, the most common being the House Sparrow, Passer Domesticus.

  1. Identification

    • Sparrows are small, rotund, brown-gray birds with short tails. Their beaks are short and powerful, used for breaking open seeds.

    Geography

    • Sparrows are dispersed across the entire United States.

    Size

    • Sparrows range in size from the Chestnut Sparrow at 4.5 inches to the Parrot-billed Sparrow at 7 inches.

    Color Differences

    • The House Sparrow is identified by the gray crown and black bib on males, and the buffy eyebrows and grayish underparts of the female.

    Effects

    • The House Sparrow has aggressively invaded most urban habitats and has shrunk the range of many other types of Sparrows.

    Misconceptions

    • House Sparrows are not native to The United States, being introduced from Europe in the 1850s.