House Sparrows Nesting, Mating Habits Behaviors and Images
House Sparrows, some folks call them Sparrow Bird or English Sparrows, may not be the most loved birds, but they are a part of our backyard bird-watching experience.
Initially, some of these birds were imported from England, hoping to control certain caterpillars that harm shade trees.
Male House Sparrow at Feeder
The first large introduction was in 1851 - 1852. 100 birds were brought to Brooklyn, NY, and successfully released.
Additional releases in other areas of the country occurred from 1871 to 1874.
In less than 50 years, this small bird has a nesting and breeding range that includes the entire U.S. and well into Canada.
Unfortunately, they didn't go after the caterpillars hoped for. While intentions were good, the outcome has been less than stellar.
Our native cavity nesters have not evolved fast enough to compete with these highly competitive birds.
House Sparrow Call
Description What They Look Like
House Sparrows are 5 to 6 inches. The male has a distinctive appearance with a grayish-brown crown and nape, a black bib that extends down the chest, and a white cheek patch.
The back and wings are a mixture of shades of brown, black, and gray, and the underparts are a pale gray-brown.
The bill is thick and conical, and the eyes are dark brown. During the breeding season, the male's bill turns a bright yellow color, and the black bib becomes more prominent.
The female has a brown crown and a plain breast with a broad buff line over the eye.
Be careful when identifying female House Sparrows because they may look similar to female House Finches.
The female House Finch will have a stripped breast.
Although misnamed English Sparrow, and commonly known as the House Sparrow, it is not particularly a native of England and is not a sparrow.
It's thought to have its origin in the Mediterranean and is a member of the Weaver Finch family.
House Sparrow Mating Habits
Their nesting, feeding, and mating habits can be observed easily due to their long multiple breeding seasons.
The mating habits or courtship behavior of the House Sparrow can begin as early as January and continue through July.
The males claim their nest sites and defend the immediate territory around the nest. There is no defined area outside the House Sparrow nest the bird defends.
The male chirps by the sparrow nest site, trying to attract a female. When a female comes by, the male chirps louder and more quickly.
Sometimes the male will follow the female a short distance and hop or wing quiver around her if she passes by him.
Other males may join in trying to attract the same female.
Mating occurs throughout the breeding cycle, which is from March through early August. Mating takes place near the nest site and may occur several times during the day. Once the birds pair, nesting begins.
Female House Sparrow
House Sparrows are monogamous and do mate for life. If one of the pair dies, the surviving bird will quickly pair with another.
It's very common to see these birds dust bathing. To dust bathe, the House Sparrow hollows out a small divot, lays down with open wings, and wiggles around in the dirt.
This behavior may be an effort to help remove parasites.
House Sparrows Nesting Habits
The nesting habits of House Sparrows play a significant role in the bird's life and activities. Since these birds use the nest nearly year around.
In spring and summer, the sparrow nest is used for raising young, if successful, up to four broods a season will be raised.
In fall and winter, it may be used for resting during the day and roosting at night.
The sparrow nest can be located in any available place in buildings, trees, and birdhouses near human habitation.
The adaptability and the number of broods raised are what enable this bird's numbers to multiply.
The nest building is done almost year around. You are likely to notice most nest-building activity in spring from February - May.
Some refurbishing may be done during the fall.
Male Chirping by Nest Site
Like most birds, the bulk of nest building is in spring just before breeding. Both the male and female build the nest.
What House Sparrow Nest and Eggs Look Like
The nest is spherical, 8 to 10 inches in outside diameter, and is made of coarse material on the outside, such as straw, twigs, paper, leaves, grasses, and other like materials.
The inside is lined with feathers or fine grasses. The image of the House Sparrow nest shows twine and feathers, also added to the nest.
The female begins laying eggs about a week after nest building begins. Typically, 5 eggs are laid but some nests can have up to 7 eggs.
The image below shows what a House Sparrow's eggs look like in the nest.
House Sparrow Nest with 3 Sparrow Eggs
House Sparrow Eggs and Incubation
The eggs are white to dull brown and speckled with brown. (See Photo Above)
For the most part, incubation of the eggs is done by the female with the male sitting on the eggs about 20 percent of the time.
Toward the end of incubation, the male may increase his egg sitting close to 50 percent of the time.
House Sparrow incubation (gestation period isn't the term for birds) lasts for about 12 days and the young will leave the nest 15 to 17 days after hatching.
| House Sparrow Nesting Stats | |
|---|---|
| Eggs | 1 - 7 Avg. 5 |
| Incubation | 12 days |
| Nestling Phase | 15 - 17 days |
| Broods | 1 - 4 Avg. 2 - 3 |
Both the male and female feed the young. After the young birds have fledged, the male continues feeding the fledglings while the female begins the next nest and brood.
Where Do House Sparrows Build Their Nest
Some people would ask, "where do House Sparrows not build their nests?" Any cavity above 5 feet, sometimes even closer to the ground, is suitable for nests.
They'll use any birdhouse they can get into and sometimes evict other bird species to take over a cavity.
They prefer old woodpecker holes, nooks, and openings of buildings close to humans. It's common to find their nest in the garden centers of big box stores.
One of the most adaptable birds when it comes to selecting a nest site.
Feeding Habits What Sparrows Eat
The House Sparrows diet consists mainly of small seeds. They will eat corn, oats, wheat, and other types of grain or weed seeds.
These birds primarily forage on the ground but will come to feeders for Suet and White Millet a favorite seed.
During spring and summer when feeding nestlings, the birds will switch their feeding habits and give their young insects and spiders to eat for protein and moisture.
They readily eat scraps of food and birdseed provided by humans. These birds can be very aggressive at bird feeders and will keep other birds away while feeding.
One solution to keeping them away from feeders is to use Finch Feeders filled with nyjer seed. House Sparrows won't eat the nyjer seed and it's available everywhere.
House Sparrows and Native Birds
House Sparrows compete with many of our native bird species for nesting sites. Among the native species it competes with are Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, and Purple Martins.
If you want native species such as Wrens, Chickadees, and others to nest in your birdhouses, you'll have to control the House Sparrows. Do this by removing nesting material quickly and often.
This can be a daunting task, as these birds are continually building nests.
Once a pair has built a nest, they will defend their nesting territory fiercely against the less aggressive species.
Are House Sparrows a Bad Bird?
House Sparrows get a bad rap for the fact they harm other native species and eggs during nesting season.
But the truth is, their numbers have declined both in their native country and in the United States. In the birding world, they are not considered to be causing population declines in our native species.
There are other native species that also destroy nest sites and prey on birds.
The common House Wren, for instance, is known to pierce the eggs of cavity-nesting birds. I've lost many Martin eggs due to the Wrens, along with Bluebird eggs.
The rise in numbers of Accipiter Hawks such as the Cooper's and Sharp-shinned in towns and cities will affect some species, especially at feeders.
Yes, House Sparrows are non-natives and cause a small imbalance in nature. But they won't cause the planet to spin out of control.
My conclusion is if you're hosting Bluebirds or Purple Martins do what you can to protect them from House Sparrows.
If you like having them around, enjoy. They're not bad, they're just birds.
Natural Predators
Natural predators of House Sparrows birds include hawks such as Coopers, Sharp-shinned, and Kestrels. Other birds that eat House Sparrows include Owls and Shrikes.
In the nest, cats, dogs, raccoons, and black snakes will eat adults, young, and eggs.
Lifespan, How Long Do House Sparrows Live
The typical lifespan of the House Sparrow is 3 - 5 years in the wild with the current record of just over 13 years. Only about 20 percent of young live past their first year.
Just under 60 percent of adult House Sparrows survive annually. Cold weather and food availability are factors in how long House Sparrows live.
More About Sparrow Birds
How to Keep House Sparrows Out of Your Birdhouses
Common Types of Native Sparrows
