House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
BirdSongbirdUrban
A male house sparrow in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York, in the species’ introduced North American range.
Image: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Overview
The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a small, stocky bird native to Eurasia and North Africa. It lives close to people almost everywhere it occurs and has been introduced to the Americas, southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and various islands, and it is now found from sub-Arctic to subtropical regions everywhere except Western Australia and some small islands.
It has a robust, conical bill. Males have a gray crown, chestnut nape, black bib and a brown back streaked with black, and when breeding their bill turns black and the black of the throat extends to the chest and upper belly; females are plainer brown, with a pale buff eyebrow, a streaked back and no bib, and juveniles resemble females. An Old World sparrow rather than a true American sparrow, it has shorter legs and a thicker bill than native American sparrows.
It measures 13–17 cm in a North American field guide; other accounts give 15 cm, 6¼ inches from bill tip to tail tip, or 14–16 cm. In a UK sample of live birds, adults averaged 27.3 g — males 27.4 g and females 27.2 g — and their wing length averaged 77.1 mm.
Habitat & Range
House sparrows live close to people, in cities, towns, villages, suburbs and on farms, even around isolated buildings surrounded by desert or forest, and they are largely absent from natural habitats away from people, such as uninhabited woodland, forest, grassland, desert and marsh. In North America they are essentially always found around manmade structures. In the UK breeding season they are most frequent in towns and also common in villages, and in summer they readily forage for insects in hedgerows and meadows if they need not fly too far from the nest.
The species is native to Eurasia and North Africa. It was first released in North America at New York in 1851 and is listed as introduced in Alaska, Canada, the Caribbean territories, the continental United States and Hawaii; Australian birds came from Britain between 1863 and 1870, and introductions to New Zealand began in the mid-1860s. Alien records also include Central America, Mexico, French Guiana, Peru, the Falkland Islands, Saint Helena, Tanzania, Mayotte, Réunion and New Caledonia.
Diet
House sparrows eat mainly seeds and grain — weed and grass seeds, waste grain and cereal crops — along with buds, flowers, fruit and human food scraps such as bread. Adults also take some insects and other invertebrates, especially in summer, and by a New Zealand account small nestlings are fed mainly on invertebrates. They forage mostly by hopping on the ground, also eating spilled grain and undigested seeds in manure, and may take smashed insects from the fronts of parked cars or search tree bark for insects. Stomach contents from several US states were approximately 60% livestock feed, 18% cereals, 17% weed seed and 4% insects.
Behavior
House sparrows are sociable, flocking birds, not often seen alone: they usually occur in small to medium-sized groups, sometimes in huge numbers, and roost communally, sometimes several hundred together. Foraging in small flocks means many eyes watch for predators.
They are largely monogamous, although studies outside New Zealand show a low incidence of polygamy and brood parasitism, with up to 10% of nestlings not from the nesting pair. They often breed in small colonies, with nests normally spaced over a meter apart, and each pair defends only a small territory around its nest. Over most of their range they are permanent residents — in New Zealand even large post-breeding flocks venture no more than a few kilometers from the breeding area — though an Australian account says they may be partially migratory in some areas.
Human Interaction & Conservation
Introduced to North America from 1851 in hopes that it would help control insect pests, and to Australia (1863–1870) and New Zealand (from the mid-1860s), the house sparrow came to be regarded as a pest in all three. It takes ripening grain — in New Zealand the damage averages around 5% of the potential yield — and it may evict native birds from their nests. In Australia a government reward was paid for the birds and their eggs, and destroying every bird seen has so far kept the species from establishing in Western Australia.
In the UK the species has declined since the mid-1970s, and evidence ties its declines on farmland mainly to lower survival as agricultural intensification reduced food. It has no special status under the US Migratory Bird Act. IUCN's global assessment lists the house sparrow as Least Concern. The cited version was published in 2019; its DOI retains the edition 2018-2.
Reproduction & Life Cycle
House sparrows typically first breed at 1 year old. They nest mostly in holes or crevices in buildings, but also in tree cavities or thick bushes and, where enclosed sites are scarce, in the open in tree branches; both sexes build the bulky nest, which is domed with a side entrance, and both care for the young. Clutches usually hold 3–6 eggs (typically 4–5 in the UK), and pairs usually raise 2–3 broods a year, up to 4. In the UK, first clutches are laid on average on 14 May, while in Australia the species breeds all year round, more in spring and summer.
Accounts disagree on who incubates: both parents in a North American field guide; mainly the female in a New Zealand account, which says the male has no brood patch and plays a minor role by day only; the female in UK nest data; and the female alone in an Australian account. Incubation lasts 10–14 days in North American accounts and typically 12–15 days in the UK, and the young leave the nest about 2 weeks after hatching.
Birds that reach breeding age have a typical life expectancy of 3 years in UK ringing data. The oldest wild birds on record are given as at least 15 years old and as 13 years 4 months old, and the UK ringing record is 12 years 12 days.
Sourced facts
Each value below is traced to the specific reference that states it. Open a row's evidence to see the source, where to look in it, and how firmly it supports the value. Sources checked 2026-10-20.
| Fact | What the source states | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Distinguishing traits | A small, stocky sparrow with a robust, conical bill. Males have a gray crown, chestnut nape, black bib and a brown back streaked with black. Females are plainer brown, with a pale buff eyebrow, a streaked back and no bib. Juveniles resemble females.In breeding males the bill turns black and the black throat extends to the chest and upper belly; the bib varies in size. Young birds are duller than females, with some crown mottling. An Old World sparrow, not a true American sparrow, it has shorter legs and a thicker bill than native American sparrows. The tree sparrow, as an Australian account calls it, has an all-brown crown and black cheek patch in both sexes. | Matches source · National Audubon Society, Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Australian Museum, New Zealand Birds Online, Missouri Department of Conservation — how we knowNational Audubon Society
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
Australian Museum
New Zealand Birds Online
Missouri Department of Conservation
|
| Geographic range | Native range: Eurasia and North Africa. Introduced to the Americas (first released in North America at New York in 1851), southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and various islands; now found from sub-Arctic to subtropical regions everywhere except Western Australia and some small islands.Listed as introduced in Alaska, Canada, the Caribbean territories, the continental US and Hawaii. Alien records also include Central America, Mexico, French Guiana, Peru, the Falklands, Saint Helena, Tanzania, Mayotte, Réunion and New Caledonia. Australian birds came from Britain in 1863–1870; New Zealand introductions began in the mid-1860s, and it breeds on the Chatham Islands. | Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, National Audubon Society, Global Invasive Species Database (IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group), Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), New Zealand Birds Online, Australian Museum — how we knowAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
National Audubon Society
Global Invasive Species Database (IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group)
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)
New Zealand Birds Online
Australian Museum
|
| Habitat | Lives close to people in cities, towns, villages, suburbs and farms, even around isolated buildings amid unsuitable terrain such as desert or forest. Largely absent from natural habitats away from people, such as uninhabited woodland, forest, grassland, desert and marsh.In North America it is essentially always found around manmade structures, never in unaltered natural habitats. In the UK breeding season it is most frequent in towns and also common in villages, and in summer it readily forages for insects in hedgerows and meadows if it need not fly too far from the nest. In New Zealand it is found everywhere except high mountains and bush. | Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, National Audubon Society, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Missouri Department of Conservation, New Zealand Birds Online — how we knowAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
National Audubon Society
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
Missouri Department of Conservation
New Zealand Birds Online
|
| Diet | Mainly seeds and grain: weed and grass seeds, waste grain and cereal crops, plus buds, flowers, fruit and human food scraps such as bread. Adults also take some insects and other invertebrates, especially in summer; small nestlings are fed mainly on invertebrates.Forages mostly by hopping on the ground; also eats spilled grain and undigested seeds in manure, and may take smashed insects from the fronts of parked cars or search tree bark for insects. Stomach contents from several US states were approximately 60% livestock feed (corn, wheat, oats), 18% cereals, 17% weed seed and 4% insects. The nestling diet comes from a New Zealand account. | Matches source · National Audubon Society, New Zealand Birds Online, Missouri Department of Conservation, Australian Museum, Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology — how we knowNational Audubon Society
New Zealand Birds Online
Missouri Department of Conservation
Australian Museum
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
|
| Body size | Length 13–17 cm.North American field-guide figure; the guide does not name the measure. Other accounts give 15 cm, 6¼ inches from bill tip to tail tip, and a size range of 14–16 cm without naming the measure. Wing length of live UK birds averages 77.1 mm in adults (73–81 mm; males 78.2 mm, females 75.5 mm) and 74.2 mm in juveniles; another account gives 76 mm. The tail is usually three-quarters the length of the wing. | Matches source · National Audubon Society, New Zealand Birds Online, Missouri Department of Conservation, Australian Museum, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology — how we knowNational Audubon Society
New Zealand Birds Online
Missouri Department of Conservation
Australian Museum
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
|
| Body mass | Adults average 27.3 g in a UK sample of live birds (males 27.4 g, females 27.2 g); juveniles average 26.6 g.UK adults: 5th–95th percentiles 24.2–30.7 g (N=13,060). Another account gives 28 g. | Matches source · British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), New Zealand Birds Online — how we knowBritish Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
New Zealand Birds Online
|
| Lifespan | Wild: typical life expectancy 3 years for birds that reach breeding age (UK ringing data). Recorded maximum wild ages differ: at least 15 years, or 13 years 4 months. UK ringing record: 12 years 12 days.sources disagreeBreeding typically begins at 1 year (UK). The UK ringing record was set in 1978. One account says most wild birds live only several years. | Sources disagree · British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Missouri Department of Conservation, Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology — how we knowWhat each reading says
One account gives the oldest known wild bird as at least 15 years old; another gives 13 years 4 months, with 13.0 years as the high end of the wild range, and also lists an average wild lifespan of 189 months (credited to the Bird Banding Laboratory) that contradicts its own statement that most live only several years and the typical life expectancy of 3 years in UK ringing data. British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
Missouri Department of Conservation
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
|
| Social structure | Sociable and flocking, not often seen alone: usually in small to medium-sized groups, sometimes huge numbers, roosting communally, sometimes several hundred together. Largely monogamous; often breeds in small colonies, pairs defending only a small territory around the nest.Studies outside New Zealand show a low incidence of polygamy and brood parasitism, with up to 10% of nestlings not from the nesting pair. Breeding is semi-colonial, with nests normally spaced over a meter apart. Territory defense is believed to protect only the nest site, not feeding areas. Foraging in small flocks means many eyes watch for predators. | Matches source · New Zealand Birds Online, Australian Museum, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), National Audubon Society, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology — how we knowNew Zealand Birds Online
Australian Museum
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
National Audubon Society
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
|
| Reproduction | Typically first breeds at 1 year. Clutch usually 3–6 eggs (typically 4–5 in the UK); incubation 10–14 days in North American accounts, typically 12–15 days in the UK; young leave the nest about 2 weeks after hatching; usually 2–3 broods a year, up to 4.sources disagreeNests usually in holes or crevices in buildings, also in tree cavities or thick bushes and, where enclosed sites are scarce, in the open in tree branches; both sexes build the bulky nest, domed with a side entrance, and care for the young. Clutches rarely 1–8 eggs in North America; 2–7 in UK records. UK first clutches average 14 May (27 March–11 July); in Australia it breeds all year round, more in spring and summer. | Sources disagree · National Audubon Society, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), New Zealand Birds Online, Australian Museum, Missouri Department of Conservation — how we knowWhat each reading says
Accounts disagree on who incubates: a North American field guide says both parents; a New Zealand account says the female incubates overnight and the male, which has no brood patch, plays a minor role by day only; UK nest data give incubation by the female, and an Australian account says the female alone incubates. National Audubon Society
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
New Zealand Birds Online
Australian Museum
Missouri Department of Conservation
|
| Movement | Largely sedentary: a permanent resident over most of its range, including throughout North America.In New Zealand even large post-breeding flocks (late summer, early autumn) venture no more than a few kilometers from the breeding area, though sparrows have reached offshore islands on their own. UK ringing data suggest dispersal distances decreased from 1970 to 2010. An Australian account says birds may be partially migratory in some areas. One account gives a maximum dispersal of 300 km. | Matches source · National Audubon Society, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), New Zealand Birds Online, Australian Museum — how we knowNational Audubon Society
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
New Zealand Birds Online
Australian Museum
|
| Human interaction | Mostly lives alongside people. Introduced to North America from 1851, in hopes it would help control insect pests, and to Australia (1863–1870) and New Zealand (mid-1860s), it came to be regarded as a pest in all three; it takes ripening grain and may evict native birds from nests.New Zealand grain losses average around 5% of potential yield. In Australia a government reward was paid for the birds and their eggs, and destroying every bird seen has so far kept it from establishing in Western Australia. No special status under the US Migratory Bird Act. UK numbers have fallen since the mid-1970s; evidence ties farmland declines mainly to lower survival as agricultural intensification cut food. | Matches source · New Zealand Birds Online, National Audubon Society, Missouri Department of Conservation, Australian Museum, Global Invasive Species Database (IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) — how we knowNew Zealand Birds Online
National Audubon Society
Missouri Department of Conservation
Australian Museum
Global Invasive Species Database (IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
|
| Conservation status | Least Concern (LC), global assessment, cited version published 2019The source cites BirdLife International 2019. The unchanged DOI contains the edition 2018-2; that edition and the publication year are different metadata, not a newly inferred assessment date. | Matches source · IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — how we knowIUCN Red List of Threatened Species
|
References for the facts above
- ReferenceIntegrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)Supports: identity (accepted name, authorship, hierarchy, subspecies); introduced status in Alaska, Canada, the Caribbean territories, the continental US and Hawaii. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Taxonomic record; lists no synonyms, and its geographic information covers only North America, Oceania and the Caribbean.
- UniversityAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySupports: native and introduced range, habitat, identification (sexes; compared with American sparrows), wing and tail length, territory and flocking, diet and US stomach contents, lifespan (conflicting readings), human interaction (pest status, regulatory status). Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Student-written account (Jennifer Roof), last updated 2001-05-03, citing Lowther & Cink (1992). Its biogeographic tags mark the Ethiopian region as native while its text lists 'S. Africa' among introductions; the tags were not used. Two average masses without sex, age or region (28.5 g; 25.3 g from AnAge) and a 'time to hatching' of 11.0 days (high) beside its text's 10-14-day incubation were not used. Its 'average lifespan' of 189 months is recorded as a conflicting reading.
- Wildlife referenceBritish Trust for Ornithology (BTO)Supports: identification (sexes, young), UK habitat, wing length and body weight of live birds, UK nesting data, lifespan from ringing, sedentary habits and dispersal, UK declines and their farmland cause. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: BirdFacts profiles birds occurring in the United Kingdom; biology figures come from BTO ringing and nest-recording data. Gives wing length, not total length or wingspan. The statement that house sparrows are sedentary comes from a publication summary on the page (Dadam et al. 2019). Its 'Incubation by Female' is recorded as a reading in the reproduction conflict.
- Wildlife referenceNational Audubon SocietySupports: native range and the 1851 New York release, identification, length, North American habitat, diet and foraging, reproduction, colonial breeding and territory, year-round residency, eviction of native birds. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: North American field guide; text adapted from Kenn Kaufman's Lives of North American Birds (1996). Its 'Population 740.000.000' figure and its note that the eastern population peaked around 1900 were not used.
- UniversityAustralian MuseumSupports: introduction to Australia and Australian distribution, identification (breeding males, young, Eurasian tree sparrow), group size, diet, nest sites, who incubates, clutch size, partial migration, pest status and management in Australia. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Written from an Australian perspective (updated 29/07/22). 'Size Range 14 cm to 16 cm' does not name the measure. It says pairs form permanent pair bonds, while ADW says pairs form for each breeding season; no pair-bond duration is claimed. Its habitat line ('some wooded country') was not used.
- ReferenceNew Zealand Birds OnlineSupports: worldwide occurrence, introduction to New Zealand and pest history, bill color, length and weight, flocking and communal roosting, monogamy and extra-pair young, incubation roles, nest form, age at first breeding, sedentary habits and dispersal, diet including nestlings, grain damage. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Species account by D.G. Dawson (2013, updated 2022), edited by C.M. Miskelly; breeding, population and diet statements mostly concern New Zealand birds. Its data box gives length (15 cm), weight (28 g), maximum longevity (15 years) and maximum dispersal (300 km) without saying where or whether wild; the longevity figure was not used.
- GovernmentMissouri Department of ConservationSupports: Old World vs American sparrows, length, habitat, diet, introduction to America and pest status, ousting of native birds from nest sites, broods, clutch and incubation, oldest wild bird. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: State field guide for Missouri, no date shown, with editorial language ('winged rats'). Its nestling period (10-14 days) and plumage colors (whitish gray cheek, tan female underparts) were not used.
- ReferenceGlobal Invasive Species Database (IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group)Supports: native range, introduction to the Americas, alien range records (including southern Africa and many islands), eviction of native birds, grain damage early in the North American invasion. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Species profile, publication date 2010-10-04, principal source Aguirre and Poss (2000); its reproduction text repeats ADW's. Its native-range tags include 'africa' as well as 'northern africa' while 'southern africa' is tagged alien; only its summary and alien-range tags were used. Its management section (control methods) was not used.
- Wildlife referenceRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)Supports: identification (size, sexes, juveniles, bib), sociability. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: UK conservation charity page. Its key-facts figures (length, wingspan, weight) sit in a script block, not in the readable text, and were not used. It describes male cheeks as grey where ADW and Audubon say white; no cheek color is claimed.
- ReferenceIUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesSupports: The global Red List category and publication year of the cited version. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Read from the Red List export IUCN publishes to GBIF; iucnredlist.org itself does not answer automated reads. Categories are reassessed over time.
Frequently Asked Questions — House Sparrow
Is the house sparrow an American sparrow?
No. It is an Old World sparrow, not a true American sparrow, and it has shorter legs and a thicker bill than native American sparrows.
Where do house sparrows live?
Close to people, in cities, towns, villages, suburbs and on farms. Native to Eurasia and North Africa, the species has been introduced to the Americas, southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and various islands.
What do house sparrows eat?
Mainly seeds and grain, plus buds, fruit and human food scraps. Adults also take some insects, especially in summer, and, by a New Zealand account, small nestlings are fed mainly on invertebrates.
How long do house sparrows live?
Birds that reach breeding age have a typical life expectancy of 3 years in UK ringing data, though the oldest wild birds on record were at least 15 years old, or 13 years 4 months, by different accounts.
Sources and further reading
Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.
- ReferenceIntegrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) — Passer domesticus, TSN 179628 — identity (accepted name, authorship, hierarchy, subspecies); introduced status in Alaska, Canada, the Caribbean territories, the continental US and Hawaii
- UniversityAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology — Passer domesticus (house sparrow) species account — native and introduced range, habitat, identification (sexes; compared with American sparrows), wing and tail length, territory and flocking, diet and US stomach contents, lifespan (conflicting readings), human interaction (pest status, regulatory status)
- Wildlife referenceBritish Trust for Ornithology (BTO) — House sparrow, BirdFacts (BTO) — identification (sexes, young), UK habitat, wing length and body weight of live birds, UK nesting data, lifespan from ringing, sedentary habits and dispersal, UK declines and their farmland cause
- Wildlife referenceNational Audubon Society — House sparrow, Guide to North American Birds (Audubon) — native range and the 1851 New York release, identification, length, North American habitat, diet and foraging, reproduction, colonial breeding and territory, year-round residency, eviction of native birds
- UniversityAustralian Museum — House sparrow (Australian Museum) — introduction to Australia and Australian distribution, identification (breeding males, young, Eurasian tree sparrow), group size, diet, nest sites, who incubates, clutch size, partial migration, pest status and management in Australia
- ReferenceNew Zealand Birds Online — House sparrow, New Zealand Birds Online — worldwide occurrence, introduction to New Zealand and pest history, bill color, length and weight, flocking and communal roosting, monogamy and extra-pair young, incubation roles, nest form, age at first breeding, sedentary habits and dispersal, diet including nestlings, grain damage
- GovernmentMissouri Department of Conservation — House sparrow, Missouri field guide — Old World vs American sparrows, length, habitat, diet, introduction to America and pest status, ousting of native birds from nest sites, broods, clutch and incubation, oldest wild bird
- ReferenceGlobal Invasive Species Database (IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group) — Passer domesticus, Global Invasive Species Database — native range, introduction to the Americas, alien range records (including southern Africa and many islands), eviction of native birds, grain damage early in the North American invasion
- Wildlife referenceRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) — House sparrow (RSPB) — identification (size, sexes, juveniles, bib), sociability
- ReferenceIUCN Red List — Passer domesticus assessment — The global Red List category; cited version published in 2019, DOI edition 2018-2