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Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) German name(s): "Feldsperling" Size: 12.5-14 cm; wing span: 20-22 cm Body mass: 18-28 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.22-0.35

Europe: Family Group 24 Family Group 24 Table White Wagtail Western Yellow Wagtail Grey Wagtail Tawny Pipit Berthelot's Pipit Red-throated Pipit Tree Pipit Meadow Pipit Water Pipit Eurasian Rock Pipit Greater Short-toed Lark Calandra Lark Woodlark Eurasian Skylark Bearded Reedling House Sparrow Tree Sparrow Spanish Sparrow Rock Sparrow Trumpeter Finch European Serin Atlantic Canary Red-fronted Serin Eurasian Siskin Common Redpoll Arctic Redpoll Twite Common Linnet Brambling Common Chaffinch European Goldfinch Eurasian Bullfinch Hawfinch Common Crossbill Common Rosefinch Yellowhammer Cirl Bunting Common Reed Bunting Little Bunting Ortolan Bunting Black-headed Bunting Corn Bunting Rock Bunting House Bunting Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Eurasian Tree Sparrows are small finch-like birds. Their plumage is the same for both sexes. They have a dark-brown cap, white collar and white cheeks with a black patch. The chin and the areas below the eyes are also black. The rest of the front is lightly streaked grey. The wings are light-brown with black streaks and white spots at the end of the coverts. The uppertail is greyish-brown. The eyes have black irises. The triangular bill is grey, while the legs and feet are grey (in full sunlight they can appear translucent pinkish- to orange-grey). Juvenile birds are duller, with a greyish-brown cap and grey cheek patches and collar.

Taxonomy, classification See Eurasian Tree Sparrow at Wikipedia . NB: The name of the family of sparrows, "Passer", is used in the definition of passerine vs. non-passerine birds.

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow is available HERE . Eurasian Tree Sparrows have a very large range, extending from western Europe to far-eastern and south-eastern Asia. All across Asia, at latitudes above 60 degrees, they are summer breeding visitors; on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar and in parts of coastal Asia Minor they are winter visitors. Everywhere else they are present permanently. There are 7 races in total across their range; for details see e.g. Wikipedia . In Europe, Eurasian Tree Sparrows, race "montanus", are found as permanent residents almost across the entire continent, with the following exceptions. They are NOT present in the high Pyrenees, along the northern coastal fringe of Iberia, in Cornwall, Ireland, Scotland and central to northern Scandinavia. In northern European Russia they are found only as summer breeding migrants. In large parts of its range cohabiting with House Sparrows, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow lives in open woodland, on the edges of agricultural areas and around houses and gardens, often in close proximity to humans.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "montanus" D. Wilczynska reports spotting Eurasian Tree Sparrows, race "montanus", regularly in central Poland, e.g. in Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia. J. Pires reports finding Eurasian Tree Sparrows, race "montanus", regularly along the Sorraia River, in Coruche, Santarem, Portugal. In March 2018 they were also found in the Tejo estuary. M. Eaton reports spotting Eurasian Tree Sparrows, race "montanus", in Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, in September 2019. J. Pires spotted an Eurasian Tree Sparrow, race "montanus", at Docks de Saint Ouen, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, Ile-de-France, France, in March 2021. G. Normand found Eurasian Tree Sparrows, race "montanus", in Kosovo in August 2021. A. Sarok reports spotting Eurasian Tree Sparrows, race "montanus", in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024.

Photos

Race "montanus"

ADULT

PAIR

Frontal view of a pair of Eurasian Tree Sparrows (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Duero, Zamora, Castilla e Leon, Spain, April 2024]

Lateral/dorsal view of a pair of Eurasian Tree Sparrows (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Duero, Zamora, Castilla e Leon, Spain, April 2024]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow looking sideways; note the characteristic brown cap and white cheek with the black patch (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, February 2016]

Near-frontal view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2020]

Near-lateral view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, February 2016]

Near-lateral view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Lateral view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Couco, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, May 2020]

Lateral view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Couco, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, May 2020]

Lateral view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, January 2018]

Lateral view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrows (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, July 2018]

Two interacting Eurasian Tree Sparrows (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, July 2018]

Lateral view of two Eurasian Tree Sparrows (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Near-dorsal view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, January 2018]

Near-dorsal view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2018]

Dorsal view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow looking back at the observer (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2017]

Dorsal view of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow looking sideways (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Docks de Saint Ouen, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, Ile-de-France, France, March 2021]

Mob of Eurasian Tree Sparrows congregating in rank scrubby vegetation (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Eurasian Tree Sparrow, centre, in comparison with, from the left: European Goldfinch, female House Sparrow, European Serin, male House Sparrow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2018]

Eurasian Tree Sparrow, top right, in comparison with a male House Sparrow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, January 2018]

Direct comparison of an Eurasian Tree Sparrow with a Great Tit (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Eurasian Tree Sparrow (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Kosovo, August 2021]

Possible hybrids

House Sparrow x Eurasian Tree Sparrow

House Sparrows and Eurasian Tree Sparrows can hybridize. J. Pires reports finding a potential hybrid sparrow in December 2018.

Although difficult to classify because probably moulting, this bird does not fit the standard pattern of either House Sparrow Eurasian Tree Sparrow: Note the combination of long "bib" (from the former) and black cheek patch (from the latter species) (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, December 2018]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Apr - Sep

Eggs: 5 - 6

Incubation period: 12 - 13 days

Fledging age: 15 - 18 days

Nest building: Male (& female)

Incubation: Female (& male)

Dependent care: Female & male

Lateral view of a pair of Eurasian Tree Sparrows working on the next generation (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Duero, Zamora, Castilla e Leon, Spain, April 2024]

Nest

Type: Dome in crevice or hollow

Material: Twigs, roots, grass, wool, feathers

Height above ground: ?

Male Eurasian Tree Sparrow bringing food for its chicks (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, July 2021]

Male Eurasian Tree Sparrow feeding one of its chicks at the nest entrance (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, July 2021]

Male Eurasian Tree Sparrow inspecting nest hollow, possibly for autumn display (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, October 2019]

Male Eurasian Tree Sparrow in nest hollow, possibly for autumn display; the competition is also interested
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, October 2019]

Male Eurasian Tree Sparrow carrying nest material (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, April 2019]

Eggs

Size: 20 x 14 mm

Colour: Heavily streaked olive-grey on off-white base

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Mostly sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair/mob

In Europe, Tree Sparrows are migratory only in the far north-eastern parts of the range.

Food, Diet

Eurasian Tree Sparrows foraging for seeds (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2018]

Eurasian Tree Sparrows taking seeds and lard from a bird feeder (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, December 2015]

Eurasian Tree Sparrows taking seeds and lard from a bird feeder (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, December 2015]

Eurasian Tree Sparrows taking seeds and lard from a bird feeder (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

trespar_dw_20200604_1.m4a	montanus (Poland)	Contact calls(?)	© DW
trespar_dw_20200604_2.m4a	montanus (Poland)	Contact calls(?)	© DW
trespar_jp_20200417.m4a	montanus (Portugal)	Contact calls(?)	© JP
trespar_dw_20170226.m4a	montanus (Poland)	Group chatter	© DW

More Eurasian Tree Sparrow sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.