House Sparrow

From Wild India

Scientific Name : Passer Domesticus Indicus

Table of contents

Picture


house_sparrow_male_female.jpg
Male (Left) & Female
(Copyright : Yathin)


Identification

A small seed eating bird with a thick conical bill . Males are identified by a black bib , a grey crown with chestnut sides, and white cheeks. Black streaks are present on the back and the wings are brown with a white patch. Bills are black in summer and yellowish in winter Females and juveniles have a duskier appearance, and lack the black bib seen in males . Bills are a yellow brown.

Diet

Primarily consists of seed and grain .Insects, spiders, and fruits are consumed in summer. In the absence of these they are known to be adaptive and are quick to forage through garbage for food.

Call

A series of 'cheep, chirrup'

Distribution

Seen commonly throughout india.

View reported sightings http://www.wildindia.org/birds/viewid.php?bird_id=856

Links

Depletion of sparrow populations in urban India.
http://www.indiatogether.org/2005/aug/env-sparrow.htm
Morphological differences in populations of sparrows in different altitudes in Saudi Arabia
http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Wilson/v109n03/p0539-p0544.pdf.