House Sparrow a Prolific Backyard Bird

About the Common House Sparrow

If you see one house sparrow, you’ll probably see dozens. While you may think of them as all house sparrows, chances are there are several species. As a matter of fact, there are 12 subspecies of sparrows. These birds are now be found all around the world.

House Sparrows, also called English Sparrows, were introduced into the U.S. in the 1850s. It was believed that these songbirds were big insect eaters and could help to control insect populations. In reality, sparrows’ diet is less than 10 percent insects. The majority of their insect consumption is to feed their hatchlings.

Did you know? Sparrows are not native to North America? This may be hard to believe because sparrows are one of the most populous birds in North America!

House Sparrow Identification

Chances are you’ve seen many sparrows. These brown and gray birds are about 6 inches long. They are year-round residents and do not migrate.

They are year-round residents, who populate bird feeders in big numbers.

Sparrow eggs hatch in 11 days. Hatchlings spend 14 days in the nest.

Did you know? Sparrows live up to 23 years!

Sparrow Diet and Habitat

Sparrows eat grains, seeds, insects, nectar. They are also fond of pieces of bread.

Looking to attract sparrows to your bird feeder? It’s a cinch, as they like millet, which is common in birdseed mixtures. See Bird Seed Feeding Chart.

Sparrows live in a wide range of areas, including fields, open lands, urban and suburban areas. They avoid woods and desert regions.