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House Sparrow

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

Audubon Illustration

Audubon illustration of House Sparrow

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

Range & Recent Observations

House Sparrowis a year-round resident and doesn't follow a migration flyway. See the Range tab for where it lives.

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBirdWikipedia

About the House Sparrow

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of 16 cm (6.3 in) and a mass of 24–39.5 g (0.85–1.39 oz). Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings. One of 28 species in the genus Passer, the house sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and a large part of Asia. Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australasia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird. The house sparrow is strongly associated with human habitation, and can live in urban or rural settings.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Passer domesticus
Family
Old World Sparrows
Order
Passeriformes

Similar species

Other members of the old world sparrows family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
  • Sudan Golden Sparrow Passer luteus

Know when the House Sparrow turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

How rare bird alerts work →

Gear for spotting House Sparrow

Optics

Best Binoculars for Beginners

You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.

8 min readRead guide
Cameras

Cameras for Bird Photography

From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.

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Optics

Spotting Scopes for Distance Birding

Essential for shorebirds, raptors, and anything too far for binoculars. Our tested picks.

9 min readRead guide