24 |
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House SparrowSize: 14-16 cm; wing span: 21-22.5 cm Weight: 24-40 g |
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See House
Sparrow at Wikipedia NB: The name of the family of sparrows, "Passer", is used in the definition of passerine vs. non-passerine birds. |
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Photos |
Race "hufufae"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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BREEDING |
Frontal view of a male House Sparrow in breeding
plumage;
note the extensive black bib and rich-brown supercilium
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, February 2010]
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NON-BREEDING |
Full-frontal view of a male House Sparrow in non-breeding
plumage
feeding on the ground; note the inconspicuous, patchy bib
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Near-lateral view of a male House Sparrow in non-breeding
plumage
foraging on the ground
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Lateral view of a male House Sparrow in non-breeding
plumage,
which is much less conspicuous, with less contrast than the
breeding plumage
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]
Lateral view of a male House Sparrow in non-breeding
plumage
hard on the brakes going downhill
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Male House Sparrows taking a bath, with a female in the background
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]
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FEMALE |
Near-frontal view of a female House Sparrow feeding on the ground
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Near-lateral view of a female House Sparrow feeding on the ground
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Lateral view of a female House Sparrow feeding on the ground,
here in different light conditions
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Group of House Sparrows in their "bathroom"
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a young House Sparrow seeing itself confronted with
the harsh reality of living in Arabia - heat and thirst
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]
Lateral view of a young House Sparrow in the same situation
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]
Lateral view of a fledgling House Sparrow checking out what is,
and what is not, edible while at the same time trying not to
fall off the twig
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]
Partly obscured lateral/ventral view of a fledgling House Sparrow;
note the prominent yellow gape
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, February 2010]
Race "domesticus"
House Sparrows, race "domesticus", were photographed by us in Europe.
Race "balearoibericus"
House Sparrows, race "balearoibericus", were photographed in Europe.
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Apr - Sep | Eggs: 4 - 5 | Incubation period: 10 - 14 days | Fledging age: 10 - 19 days |
The breeding season depends a lot on geographical latitude and climatic conditions. The period listed in the table above applies to central Europe. Also incubation and fledging times depend on external circumstances. Note that House Sparrows are one of only a few bird species that can reach breeding age in the same season they hatched.
Nest building: Male (& female) | Incubation: Female (& male) | Dependent care: Female & male |
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Nest |
Type: (Domed) basket, hollow | Material: Twigs, roots, grass, leaves, feathers | Height above ground: 2 - 10(?) m |
We have no photo of a nest just yet, but the following attempt by a male to find material for lining its nest.
This male House Sparrow, which is still moulting into full breeding
plumage, seems to
be sizing up the feather it wants to use
Grabbing it is no problem at all, but in the end air resistance
proved too much and the bird let the feather fall again
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Eggs |
Size: 21 x 15 mm | Colour: White, with light-grey speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
House Sparrows are very sociable birds - here a dead tree full of them
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]
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Food, Diet |
House Sparrows are omnivores, with a preference for grain and insects. During the breeding season an ample supply of insects is required for feeding the young, but also for the females to build up energy.
Near-lateral view of a male House Sparrow in non-breeding
plumage
feeding on the ground
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
These House Sparrows may be feeding on flowers; whether they
were taking nectar, petals or insects from the flowers could
not be established
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]
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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.
passdom_dw_20170119_2.m4a |
domesticus (Poland) |
Contact calls | © DW | |
passdom_dw_20170119_1.m4a |
domesticus (Poland) |
Contact calls | © DW | |
passdom_jp_20200605.m4a |
domesticus (Portugal) |
Contact calls | © JP |
More House Sparrow sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.