House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
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CC-BY Konstantinos Tzortzakakis
Looks like
The house sparrow is a rather small-bodied bird (around 15 cm) but with a stout body and a relatively big head. The males have a grey "cap" and underside, while their head and the area around the eye are black. Its back and the area behind the eyes are brick-coloured to brown. Its back shows characteristic black stripes. In the female, the cheeks, the neck and the underside are grey while its back is brown with black stripes. Its "cap" is brown-grey and often it shows an ochre "eybrow". It has a stout beak with which it feeds on seeds.
Where and when to spot it
The house sparrow is one of the most common birds in the cities and villages of our area. It nests under roof tiles and in other openings of houses, sometimes also in trees. It is a very social bird and can often be observed in groups of many individuals.
Interesting facts
Despite being considered one of the most common birds, the populations of the house sparrow in northern and western Europe are declining due to intense farming.
