What is a group of sparrows called? House sparrow: description. What is the difference between a house sparrow and a field sparrow? Home sparrow. External description

I remember from school that we have at least two types of sparrows: the house sparrow and the field sparrow. But I completely forgot what their difference is. And then one day I was walking with a camera, and a flock of sparrows was swarming on the bushes at the feeder. After photographing their portraits, I decided to look into the issue of sparrow taxonomy in more detail.

field sparrow(Passer montanus) is slightly smaller in size and somewhat slender compared to the brownie, has clearly visible black “earrings” on white cheeks, and a brown “cap” on its head.

House sparrow(Passer domesticus) is a little larger, more pugnacious, so the tree sparrow prefers not to mess with it. The house sparrow has pronounced sexual dimorphism - males and females have very different colors (the field sparrow has the same color). Males have more brown spots and are brighter, while females are grey.

The black “tie” of the tree sparrow is weakly expressed, with a small black spot below the beak.

The male house sparrow has a large black patch covering the chin, throat, crop and upper chest.

It is believed that the house sparrow came to us from the Mediterranean and the Middle East, while the field sparrow came from Near Asia. The brownie, living up to its name, constantly lives next to a person, and has already managed to master all latitudes, while the field prefers to live in nature in the satisfying summer time, and spend the winter in unfavorable conditions in the city.

On the same day, I photographed a pair of white wagtails (Motacilla alba), also quite common birds for the city, on a tree. A long swinging tail (which is how she got her name), gray top, white bottom, white head with a black throat and cap.

Despite the fact that it willingly lives next to humans, the wagtail is still a migratory bird, but it arrives in our region very early, at the very beginning of spring.

Sparrows are a bird to which we are so accustomed that we don’t even see how different these sparrows are. Most sparrows live in groups or form colonies.

Behavior and lifestyle

Sparrows are very smart birds. A. Bram wrote about them like this: “Although the sparrow at first glance seems stupid, in reality it is richly gifted. Being very intelligent, he little by little becomes so familiar with a person and his way of life that he surprises every observant person.” “They are also gifted with excellent memories.” The sparrows (field sparrows), which constantly feed on the feeder installed on our site, recognize me (their main “feeder”) very well. More likely, even my jacket and snow shovel. And if our dog leaves the house, then all the sparrows instantly flock to the feeder. They have developed a strong conditioned reflex to a combination of three factors: a purple jacket, a shovel and a dog. Birds sit on bushes and trees near the feeder and calmly wait for a new portion of food to appear in the feeder.

Bram writes: “The characteristic feature of the sparrow is that wherever it is found, it lives in the closest communication with man. It inhabits both noisy, crowded cities and secluded villages surrounded by fields. Ships bring him to islands where he was never known before; he remains to live on the ruins of devastated areas, as a living witness to the happy past. Being in the full sense of the word a sedentary bird, he almost never flies beyond the boundaries of the city or beyond the borders of the fields where he was born; only occasionally does he undertake travel to explore the region beyond the areas where he lives.” Everything is exactly like that. In recent years, we have formed a huge, close-knit flock of sparrows. It's funny to see thin first-year birds who cautiously give way to older birds.

Bram continues: “... just like with a person, he enters into more or less close relationships with other creatures: he is trusting or distrustful of a dog, he is very annoying to horses, he warns his own kind and other birds about the presence of a cat, he steals food from chickens, not paying attention to their threatening movements.” I once observed the interesting behavior of sparrows hiding from a neighbor’s cat in a wide bush next to a feeder. The whole flock found itself inside a huge green ball, but at the very top one of the sparrows was on duty all the time. This “watchman” cautiously watched the cat and from time to time dived into the bush to tell the other birds something. I drove the cat away, and the sparrows immediately returned to eating.

The benefits that sparrows bring and the harm attributed to them are eloquently evidenced by the experience of China during the Great Leap Forward (1958-1960). It all ended with the sparrows being completely exterminated. Then hordes of pests attacked the ripening grain. The state had to urgently import sparrows from other countries.

Bram very accurately noted that sparrows crowd out other useful birds “and with their pugnacity, their restless disposition, they discourage songbirds from visiting the gardens that they have taken possession of.” This is unfortunately true. It’s been two years now that tits are almost invisible on our site. Neighbors list to me the birds that come to their feeders. But our “bandits” drive away all small birds (especially tits) that find themselves within the sparrow’s territory. And what kind of fights they staged last year with swifts, not wanting to give up their nests to the birds that arrived.

And another interesting observation by Bram: “Sparrows are difficult to tame. But in some cases it is possible to bind this smart bird to yourself. Roveler reports that one of his acquaintances managed to tame a female sparrow in complete freedom; he flew to his name, sat on the lap and hand of his owner and recognized him from afar.”

Types of sparrows

The sparrow is a small bird that some ornithologists classify as a member of the family Weavers (Ploceidae), subfamily Sparrows. Another part of scientists identifies a separate family Passeriformes (Passeridae). There are 22 species in this family, with about 8 species found in Russia.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 14 - 18 cm long. The male has a dark gray or gray top of the head. The back is brown, with numerous black spots. The chin, throat, crop and upper chest are also black. There is a very dark stripe “beak - eye - ear”. The back of the head is brown. Whitish-gray belly and undertail. A narrow white transverse stripe on the wings is clearly visible. The beak is black. The female sparrow has a grayish-brown upperparts with red streaks. Young birds look like the female. The main distinguishing features: a gray cap (when compared with a tree sparrow) and a brown back (when compared with a black-breasted sparrow).

The house sparrow is found in both Eurasia and North America. In Russia it is not found only in the Far Northeast. These birds are often called “city sparrows”, as they can be seen more often in large populated areas; they ignore the countryside. The sparrow is mobile, does not walk on the ground, but jumps with both legs at once. More often he has to fly low from place to place. He loves to swim in sand and dust. Keeps in packs. Ornithologists describe the chirping of a sparrow as “chiv-chiv-chiv.”

The sparrow nests in a variety of places, under any little shelter. Sometimes in trees and bushes. The nest is a ball made of plant fluff and dried grass. There are 4 - 6 eggs in a clutch. They are grayish-white with brown spots.

(Passer montanus) slightly smaller than the house sparrow. Its length is 14 - 17 cm. The upper part of the head, the back of the head, the neck and the wings are chestnut brown. The back is brownish-red with black spots. The cheeks and sides of the neck are white. There is a black spot on the cheek. Black throat and beak-ear stripe. Whitish belly and undertail. There is a narrow white stripe (transverse) on the wings. The beak is black. Legs dark brown. The female looks like the male. Young birds are colored like adults. A distinctive feature is black spots on light cheeks, which are clearly visible from a distance.

The tree sparrow is found in Eurasia, in Russia - except in the extreme northeast and the Arctic tundra. This bird settles near villages, small villages and places that people visit (parks, gardens, cemeteries, etc.). The tree sparrow avoids noisy, crowded cities and other overly busy places. Therefore, this species is more often called the “country sparrow”. Ornithologists define the chirping of the tree sparrow as “zev-zev-zev”, “tiv-tiv” or as “tek-tek” and call it gentle.

The tree sparrow makes its nests in tree hollows, crevices, empty nests of migratory birds, and even in burrows. The clutch consists of 5 - 6 whitish-gray eggs with brown spots.

Black-breasted Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) 14 - 18 cm long. The upper part of the head, the back of the head, the neck, and the wings are chestnut brown. There are light streaks on the black back. The cheeks and sides of the head are white. Black throat, crop, upper chest and stripe from beak to ear. White belly and rump with black spots. The wings have a narrow white transverse stripe. The beak is black. Legs dark brown. Females and young birds are not so contrastingly and brightly colored. Their general tone is brownish.

The black-breasted sparrow is a migratory, often nomadic species. It is distributed in Eurasia and North Africa. In Russia - in the North Caucasus, where it inhabits gardens, groves, and the outskirts of populated areas. This sparrow flies beautifully. His voice is rough and harsher than other sparrows. Breeds in colonies. Builds large, sloppy, ball-shaped nests or occupies empty nests of large birds. There are 4 - 8 eggs in a clutch. They are bluish-white with spots of gray.

Snow sparrow, or snow finch (Montifringilla nivalis) very beautiful. Colonies of birds are found in the mountains of South-Eastern Altai and the Caucasus. When in flight, the snow sparrow can be identified by its long black and white wings and gray tail, edged with white feathers. There is also a characteristic black spot on the throat. The color of the lower body is light. Ornithologists describe its trill not as a chirp, but as a monotonous “sittiger-sittiger” sound. Call: sharp “uee”, “pchiu”. An alarmed snow sparrow makes a "pchurrt" sound.

Red sparrow (Passer rutilans) in Russia is found in the south of Sakhalin and the South Kuril Islands. The upper part of the head, the back of the head, the neck, the back and the wings of this sparrow are chestnut-red. The female has a brownish-gray upper part of the head and back, and a light gray breast. This sparrow is a forest dweller. It nests in pairs. Does not gather in large flocks.

Stone sparrow (Petronia petronia) is a relatively large bird, which is distinguished by a wide light stripe on the crown and a light brown beak. The throat and chest are light brown with speckles, and a lemon-yellow spot stands out on the crop. In Russia, the stone sparrow is found in Altai, Transbaikalia, Tuva, the Lower Volga region, and Ciscaucasia. There, the rock sparrow nests near the water, as it loves to swim. It builds nests between stones, in rock cracks and in empty holes. This is a noisy bird, flocks of which fly from place to place. According to ornithologists, the rock sparrow makes ringing “geeooo”, “wee-weep”, “pee-oo-ee” and “dpiu-weep”.

Mongolian ground sparrow (Pyrgilauda davidiana) lives in Altai, Western Transbaikalia and Tuva. It has sandy-brown plumage on its back with faint spots. This sparrow is silent (chirps quietly) and trusting. Found in the mountains, among rocks and in the steppes.

Short-fingered sparrow (Carpospiza brachydactyla) is a smaller sandy-brown bird with characteristic white stripes along the edges of the throat and at the top of the tail. Breeds in Dagestan in rocky mountainous areas. His song is a drawn-out “tss-tss-tsseeeeeeee” and “tee-zee-zeeeeeeee”, which is compared to the sounds made by cicadas.

When describing these species of sparrow, the books helped me a lot: “Birds of Russia. Identifier of all species of birds of the Russian Federation" (authors N. Arlott and V. Brave) and "School Atlas - identification of birds" (author V. Brave).

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Body length 14–18 cm, weight 21–37 g. The general color of the plumage is brownish-brown above, rusty in color with black spots, whitish or gray below. The cheeks are white, the ear area is pale gray. Wings with a yellowish-white transverse stripe. The male is distinguished from the female by the presence of a large black spot covering the chin, throat, crop and upper chest, as well as a dark gray (rather than dark brown) top of the head. The female has a gray head and throat and a pale gray-yellow stripe above the eye.

Spreading

Previously, the habitat of the house sparrow was limited to Northern Europe. Subsequently, it spread widely in Europe and Asia (with the exception of the Arctic, northeastern, southeastern and central Asia), as well as in North and East Africa, Senegal, Asia Minor, the Arabian Peninsula and the island of Java.

Since the 20th century, it was brought to different countries, spread widely there and currently, in addition to the places indicated above, also lives in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, North and South America and on many islands.

Almost everywhere it is a sedentary bird, only from the northernmost parts of its range it migrates to the south for the winter (up to 1000 km), and from Central Asia it flies to Western Asia and India.

Following the man’s habitation, he penetrated far to the north into an unusual zone of forest-tundra and even tundra - to the Murmansk region, the mouth of the Pechora, the north of Yakutia.

How to distinguish a male sparrow from a female?

On the left is a female, on the right is a male

A male sparrow can be distinguished from a female by a characteristic black spot that covers the chin, throat and upper chest. The male's head is also dark gray in color. The female sparrow is smaller in size, the head and throat are gray, and above the eyes there are gray-yellow stripes, very pale, almost invisible.

Features of the lifestyle and behavior of sparrows

Sparrows lead a sedentary lifestyle, having chosen a territory, they nest. The raised offspring remain close to their parents, thus the sparrows form large flocks. This is facilitated by the high fertility of the sparrow and the abundance of food due to the proximity of human settlements.

Ornithologists, observing sparrows, found that these birds create a pair for almost their entire lives. The life expectancy of sparrows is on average up to 5 years. But there were specimens of birds whose age was about 11 years. The short life expectancy of sparrows is due to the fact that the young often die in the first winter. Sparrows nest almost anywhere they can place a nest. These include the eaves of balconies, birdhouses, voids in wooden or stone buildings, sometimes pipes and even heaps of garbage. In our area, couples form towards the end of winter. At this time, sparrows (males) are animated, chirping loudly, talking and even sometimes fighting.

Sparrow feeding

Sparrow cannot be called a gourmet. Its menu is varied - from insects to human food waste. Moreover, modesty is also not their strong point; while waiting for a piece, they can jump near a person’s table (outdoor cafes, country terraces), and if the person is sitting motionless, then they can jump onto the table on their own and worry about themselves.

However, at the slightest movement, the birds deftly disappear from the table, trying to grab the tasty crumbs.

And yet, despite their pugnacious and quarrelsome nature, these birds do not create scandals over food. If one sparrow finds a lot of food, it flies off to fetch its fellow tribesmen, and only then starts eating.

They are wary of unfamiliar food. The whole flock will not eat an unknown dish until one of the sparrows tries the food. And only after that everyone flocks.

In the villages in the summer these birds live at ease. They peck at the seeds and grains of planted crops, feast on berries, and all kinds of repellent devices have little effect on them.

However, rural residents are forced to endure such a neighborhood, because sparrows destroy caterpillars and other insects.

In fact, if you watch sparrows, the bird will be much more willing to feed in a rabbit’s cage or from a chicken cup than to look for some kind of larvae. But you shouldn't be offended by this. The sparrow's diet, however, is based on plant foods. Sparrows eat insects only in the spring, and when feeding their chicks. However, without the help of these birds it would be difficult to get rid of insects.

Sparrow breeding

A male and female sparrow build a nest together. As a rule, this is a rough structure made of feathers, straw, dry grass, with a small depression in the center. Construction of the nest begins in March, and in April the birds begin laying eggs. During a season, a female can lay up to 5 clutches. The clutch usually contains up to 7 white eggs with dark specks. The incubation period for hatching eggs lasts about two weeks. The chicks hatch slightly pubescent, almost naked. Feeding the offspring takes approximately 14 to 17 days; both parents feed the chicks mainly with insects.

Around the 10th day, the chicks try to fly. After a couple of days at the end of May - beginning of June, they leave the nests. By the end of autumn, the sparrows become animated again, chirping loudly and courting the females. Nest construction begins. There will be no chicks in these nests until spring, and a place prepared in this way in winter will serve the sparrows as protection from autumn rains and winter frosts.

Is the sparrow enemy or friend?

So the sparrow ended up among the “dubious helpers.” And yet, there is more benefit from this tiny bird than harm. It is enough to give a classic example - once the Chinese thought that sparrows were destroying their rice crop, so the bird was declared the main enemy, they were exterminated, knowing that sparrows could not stay in the air for more than 15 minutes.

The Chinese simply did not allow them to land and the birds fell to the ground, already dead. But after this came the real enemy - insects.

They multiplied to such an extent that there was no rice left at all, and almost 30 million people died from famine.

So is it worth racking your brains over what has already been passed down by history? The small bird sparrow occupies a worthy place in nature, and man only has to protect it.

Types of sparrows

In nature, there are many birds that look like sparrows, but it is not at all necessary that they belong to one of the species of this bird. Scientists ornithologists have clearly identified the species and subspecies of this bird. There are quite a lot of species of this bird - there are about 22. In our climate you can find 8.

• field;
• snowy (snow finch)
• black-breasted;
• ginger;
• stone;
• Mongolian ground sparrow;
• short-toed;
• house sparrow.

Field Sparrow / Passer montanus

The tree sparrow usually nests in light forests and park landscapes, where open spaces are interspersed with tree plantings, in groves and coastal vegetation. It also settles in old parks and gardens. Common in rural settlements and some cities, especially in areas where there is no house sparrow. It nests in dense colonies and individual pairs in hollows and birdhouses, less often in cracks in buildings. It also settles in the voids between the branches of large nests of storks and daytime predators. Sometimes it builds spherical nests on the tops of trees. There are usually 5-6 eggs in a clutch. It lives in almost all of Eurasia, except for the northernmost regions.

Snow Sparrow / Montifringilla nivalis

Snow sparrows have a rather unusual distribution area, which extends across the mountain ranges of Southern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Southwestern Iran, the Pamirs, Altai and Northeastern China. They nest in the alpine zone below the level of eternal snow - in meadows between cliffs and rocky slopes, on the slopes of boulders and lava fields. The nest is placed in rock crevices, as well as in the voids of buildings (in mountain huts, old fortifications, ski lift cabins). They live in small colonies of 2 to 6 pairs.

Black-breasted Sparrow / Passer hispaniolensis

The Black-breasted Sparrow is a small bird, slightly larger than the House Sparrow. The black-breasted sparrow weighs 27–30 g. The male differs from the female by its black back and black chest, as well as large longitudinal streaks on the sides of the body. It is distributed from Southern Europe and North Africa through Asia Minor to Afghanistan and North-West India. In our country it is found in the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is a migratory bird and a sedentary bird only in the south of its range. Inhabits cultural landscapes - groves, gardens, tugai thickets, outskirts of populated areas.

Red Sparrow / Passer rutilans

The rufous sparrow is found in South and East Asia, distinguished from other sparrows by the chestnut-red color of the plumage on the top of the head and back. It nests in sparse forests, mostly deciduous, along the edges of forests and in floodplain forests. It usually makes nests in hollows, less often in human settlements or on bushes.

Rock Sparrow / Petronia petronia

The distribution area of ​​the rock sparrow extends from southern Europe and northern Africa to Central and Central Asia, as well as across Eastern China. Inhabits open, illuminated areas of rocky slopes, arid rocky deserts with scattered trees and shrubs, as well as pastures and surrounding cereal fields. The nest is located in deep niches and crevices of rocks, in ruins or on buildings. It also lives in hollows and uninhabited burrows of mammals. It rises to a height of 2040 m in the mountains.

Ground sparrow / Pyrgilauda davidiana

The ground sparrow is similar in appearance and plumage color to real sparrows, but differs from them in white spots on the tail and wings. Distributed in the Gobi Desert, and in Russia - in the South-Eastern Altai and South-East Transbaikalia. By way of life, this is a sedentary bird, living in the hilly steppes and desert mountains, in wide valleys, on flat areas with sparse grass. It nests, spends the night and hides in abandoned burrows of pikas and other rodents. The nest is placed at a depth of up to 75 cm from the entrance to the hole, in the former living chamber of the rodent. The nest is a recess lined with wool, sometimes with feathers, in a heap of hay, which has been brought in by the animal. There are 5–6 eggs in a clutch. Some time after the chicks have fledged, the broods unite into small flocks that remain throughout the winter. It feeds on insects and seeds of steppe grasses. In Northern Afghanistan, another species of ground sparrow is found - the Afghan sparrow (P. theresae), similar to the previous one.

Short-legged Sparrow / Petronia brachydactyla

The short-legged sparrow, a close relative of the rock sparrow, is found in Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, as well as in Turkmenistan and Transcaucasia. This is a migratory bird. Winters in Arabia and Africa.

House Sparrow / Passer domesticus

The house sparrow is the most common species of the genus of true sparrows in the passerine family. This is one of the most famous birds that live in the vicinity of human habitation (hence its species name “brownie”) and is well recognizable both by its appearance and by its characteristic chirping.

Perhaps someone has heard about the strange bird "sparrow-camel". This bird has nothing in common with a sparrow, and is not a passerine species. This is the name of the well-known ostrich, which in translation means “sparrow - camel”. All passerine species have some characteristics, but the main characteristic of this bird is common to all.

The house sparrow is a bird from the passerine family, from the description of which it is clear that it is a widespread species. You can see a photo of a house sparrow, which belongs to the genus of true sparrows, in our article.

The sparrow is perhaps the most common and popular bird that lives side by side with humans. The sparrow is difficult to confuse with other small birds. We all know his appearance and chirps from childhood.

Description of the House Sparrow

The house sparrow is a small bird weighing 25 - 35 g with a body length of about 16 cm.

On top, the sparrow is brown, even closer to brown, with black spots. The abdomen and chest are gray in color. The wings have a white and yellow transverse stripe. The male has a black spot in the area from the top of the chest to the crop. Females do not have such a spot, but they do have a light yellow stripe above the eye, which the male does not have. The sparrow's ear area is light gray in color, and its cheeks are white.

Habitat of house sparrows

In ancient times, the house sparrow lived only in the vast expanses of Northern Europe. However, already at the beginning of the 20th century, this bird was brought to almost all corners of the globe. Currently, this bird is found throughout almost the entire territory of Eurasia, except for the extreme east and northeast of the continent. It also lives throughout almost the entire territory of North America, southern South America, South Africa and eastern Australia.

House Sparrow Lifestyle

Almost throughout the entire habitat, the house sparrow leads a sedentary lifestyle. This is facilitated by an excess of food in its habitat. This species is synanthropic. This means that his way of life is directly related to people and their housing. Over many centuries, the sparrow has adapted well to humans and the constant changes in environment associated with human activity. The habitat of the house sparrow is expanding to the south and north along with the expansion of agricultural zones.

Listen to the house sparrow's voice

House sparrow nutrition

Food of plant origin predominates in the diet of this bird. The sparrow feeds on insects only in the spring, and also feeds the chicks with them. The sparrow's main food is cereal seeds, waste products consumed by humans, as well as all kinds of berries in gardens and vineyards. If there is no such food nearby, the sparrow flies to the meadows, where it feeds on the seeds of herbaceous plants.

Reproduction of House Sparrows

The house sparrow often makes paired nests, but sometimes settles in entire colonies. It makes nests right next to human habitation, or near settlements. In the southern part of the habitat there are nests located far from humans. Such nests are located in plantings and ravines near agricultural fields.

Sparrows nest in crevices of buildings, in hollows of trees, as well as in the walls of nests of larger birds (such as heron, eagle, stork).

Very often, sparrow pairs are formed once and for the entire duration of their life. This life, it should be noted, is not very long. On average, a sparrow barely lives to be 3 years old, although there are individuals up to 11 years old.

Both the female and the male take part in the construction of the nest. The building materials are dry straw, feathers, and grass. Mating games begin in March, and already in April the first laying of eggs occurs.

On average, there are from 4 to 10 eggs in one clutch. The incubation period lasts up to 2 weeks. Both parents take an active part in feeding the chicks. Already 10 days after their birth, the chicks begin to fly out of the parent's nest. The wide distribution of sparrows around the planet is due to their high fertility. In one season they are capable of producing up to 3 broods of chicks.

The importance of house sparrows for humans

Sparrows are capable of bringing both undeniable benefits and terrible harm to people. Sparrows are potential carriers of pathogens of various dangerous diseases. They also often carry grain-eating pests on their feathers. Sparrows also harm poultry populations by transmitting diseases such as diphtheria and smallpox.

However, the benefits of the existence of this bird are much greater than the harm caused. The case of the extermination of sparrows in China at the end of the 50s is indicative here. In 1958, almost 2 billion individuals were exterminated in China as part of the fight against pests of these birds. This resulted in an unprecedented proliferation of insect pests in the spring and summer of the following 1959. The damage from the insects was so great that the Chinese government was forced to suspend its sparrow extermination campaign that same year.

Every day, walking along the streets of the city in the warm or cold season, we constantly see our small neighbors - birds. During the cold season, many birds fly south, while others that can withstand low temperatures remain with us. One of these representatives will be discussed further.

Home sparrow. External description:

1. The body length of this small bird is only up to 17 cm.
2. Has an oval and strong physique.
3. The tail is about 5–6 cm long.
4. Males are usually larger than females.
5. Males have much brighter and richer feather colors than their female counterparts.
6. The paws are flesh-colored or light orange.

Lifestyle:

Sparrows are accustomed to living next to a person and are not going to spend their lives without him. These little ones do not like loneliness, so they live either in pairs or in colonies. They feel confident around a person, but do not trust them completely and are cautious. Due to the structure of its legs, the house sparrow is unable to move using steps, but only by jumping.

Prefer day lifestyle, are often located where they can get some food from a person. For overnight shelter, the bird uses branches of bushes or trees, and if there are eggs that need to be hatched or chicks that need care, they spend the night in the nest. Flight speed can reach up to 45 km/h. He is not afraid of water, but on the contrary, he swims well and can even dive.

What does a sparrow eat:

Like most other urban birds, the brownie consumes protein (bugs, worms), plant (berries, tree fruits) and grain products.

Diet:

Features of behavior:

This bird is very jealous of its territory. You can often see that sparrows start fights for territory not only with their relatives, but also with tits.

Since the sparrow bird lives next door to a person, it can adopt some human habits into its character.

Well developed memory. Able to make simple decisions and build logical chains.

They are not afraid of cats, but they are wary. Other animals, such as horses and dogs, are treated with indifference.

They can live next to rabbits and chickens, because they know that they do not pose a danger, but you can always enjoy their food.

The bird is practically resistant to human attempts tame her. And it’s much more difficult to catch than any other bird.

Despite the fact that sparrows often start fights that can last for quite a long time, it does not result in wounds or blood. They are smart for this, and therefore after a fight the birds fly away, but not for long. As soon as strength appears, we go back into battle.

Such small birds, and the question is asked: “How many years do sparrows live?” - They can live on average up to 5 years, but sometimes there were birds whose age was about 11 years.

Sparrows in the north are different from sparrows in the south. The northern ones have a smaller beak, and they are capable break apart seed of almost any hardness.

There is a belief that the house sparrow is able to predict the weather a day in advance.

Reproduction of sparrows:

In the spring, when the mating season begins, the female and the male form a pair that searches for an abandoned nest. If one is not found, then they begin to build their nest. Everything is used as building materials - twigs, fluff, feathers, hair, blades of grass, hay, various ropes. They build nests either under the roofs of houses or in trees.

For the whole marriage period, the female can lay eggs three times. But it also depends on the climate and weather conditions. She can lay from 3 to 9 eggs at a time. The first clutch occurs in April. In August, the nesting period ends, so molting begins. Observations have shown that rural sparrows almost always have a larger clutch of eggs than their “urban” neighbors.

When sparrow chicks hatch, care for the young is divided equally between the parents. The female incubates the chicks for about 4–5 days, and the parents feed them for the remaining two weeks. The sparrows spend the next 14 days raising their chicks, after which they can prepare for a new laying of eggs. The chick flies out of the nest approximately 2 weeks after hatching.

Sparrow chicks are born naked without feathers and blind. The skin color is usually gray and the beak is yellow or orange. Feeding the chicks begins with protein foods, and later they switch to grain, and then you can feed them berries and plant fruits.

Home sparrow - friend or enemy of man?

Despite the fact that they settle close to humans, they are not capable of causing harm. In agricultural conditions, the sparrow only helps its human neighbor. The baby eats and destroys harmful insects. Therefore, even if he eats a couple of extra berries, I think it’s not a big deal. How many of your plants has it saved the life of?

We need to protect and value our little brothers. Who, if not a person, can save their little lives or at least help them survive the winter? We are responsible for them. There is no need to exterminate these little birds because you think they are eating your crops. Observe the behavior of sparrows and you will understand everything.