House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) -- This little bird is abundant on farms and in cities and suburbs. It is about 5 to 6 inches long. Field marks of the male are black bib and bill and white cheeks, chestnut nape; gray crown and rump. The female is often confused with other sparrows or female buntings; the unstreaked dingy breast, the bold buffy eye line, and the streaked back are the best field marks. They are often seen in flocks. The voice is a shrill, monotonous, noisy chirping.
The female lays 4 to 6 white eggs, lightly speckled with brown, in a loose mass of grass, feathers, strips of paper, string, and other debris placed in a man-made or natural cavity. These sparrows will also build a nest in a tree. There can be two or three broods a season. The female incubates the eggs for a period of from 11 to 14 days.
Introduced and resident throughout temperate North America, the House Sparrow is also native to Eurasia and North Africa, and introduced on all continetns and on many islands. They are highly adaptable to their environment.
Order: Passeriformes | Family: Ploceidae | Species: Passer domesticus
