In this video, we look at the differences between the house sparrow and the tree sparrow.

Description
 
House sparrows and tree sparrows are Old World Sparrows of the Passeridae family.

The house sparrow is one of the most common bird species. It is about six inches long with a drab plumage in shades of brown and gray. The male has a more contrasted plumage coloration with bold markings on the face and head, a rusty-red back, and gray underparts. Females have a more uniform plumage with buff underparts and slightly darker, multi-toned upperparts.

At five inches long, the Eurasian tree sparrow is smaller than a house sparrow. Its upperparts are brown with black streaks, and it is cream-white below. Its head and nape are chestnut-colored. It has a distinctive contrasting facial coloration with black “ear” patches against white cheeks and a black mask that extends down the throat.

Both species have short, conical bills adapted for seed-eating, small dark eyes, and perching feet, typical of passerine birds.

Vocalizations: Call and song

Vocalizations between sparrows are similar. Eurasian tree sparrows have a series of single-note chirps, including a sweet-voiced chip chip chip contact call, and foraging flocks sound somewhat melodious. The most common vocalization of the house sparrow is the incessant chirping contact call transcribed as chirrup-chirrup-chirrup.

Distribution and range

Originating in the Middle East, the house sparrow was introduced to other parts of the world and is now one of the most widely distributed species. Most house sparrows are sedentary stay within the same region for life. Migration does occur among certain subspecies and populations in mountainous areas. Dispersal is not uncommon, and young birds may disperse across vast distances.

Eurasian tree sparrows are native to Europe and Asia. There are migratory and sedentary populations. Most temperate birds are resident breeders. Among the migrants are the northernmost populations that migrate south for the winter and small groups from Southern Europe that winter in the Middle East and North Africa.

The species has been introduced to many regions outside its natural range including parts of North America and Australia.

Habitat

Tree sparrows inhabit open country, woodlands, farmlands, and coastal cliffs. They favor nesting sites around wetlands and marshy environments. They are also accustomed to urban areas where they inhabit abandoned buildings and other human-made structures.

House sparrows occur in a wide variety of habitat types and climates. They are well-adapted to living around humans and are often associated with human habitation and cultivated lands.

Diet and feeding habits

Sparrows are seedeaters and mainly feed on seeds and grains. They also eat berries, flowers, leaves, weeds, and shoots. During the breeding season, sparrows supplement their diet by preying on insects, spiders, and other invertebrates. House sparrows also take mollusks, crustaceans, small reptiles, and amphibians. They are highly opportunistic feeders, often scavenging human food scraps. Sparrows usually forage on the ground, either solitary or in flocks.

Nesting and breeding

Eurasian tree sparrows nest in colonies or solitary pairs. They build their nests in treeholes, rockface crevices, and even between exposed roots. In urban areas, they may even nest in roofs, ceilings, and nest boxes.

Sometimes they occupy the abandoned or unused nests of other birds such as swallows, martins, or bee-eaters, and even raptors and other large birds. Inside the cavity, they construct a well-insulated, three-layered nest out of grasses, hay, feathers, and other materials.

The female lays up to six spotted or speckled eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs for around twelve days. The hatchlings are altricial (born naked and helpless) and fledge about sixteen days after hatching.

House sparrows are monogamous, forming strong pair bonds, and typically mating for life, but extra-pair mating is not uncommon. Like the tree sparrow, they also nest in cavities, often in the crevices of houses and other buildings.

They also nest in holes in cliffs, banks, and trees. Females typically lay four to five eggs, and incubation lasts around two weeks. The altricial nestlings do not leave the nest for the first two to three weeks.

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