House Sparrow

 House Sparrow

By Myles Onion

This is an image of a House Sparrow, or Passer Domesticus, meaning house sparrow in Latin. An interesting fact about these birds is that their preferred habitat is in suburban or otherwise man made areas. House Sparrows are one of the most successful birds in the world, with their population including 8.2 billion individuals world wide making them least concerning. The house sparrow is a common bird, especially in North America. They are considered pests in the U.S. meaning it is legal to kill them, but this has not effected their numbers in significant ways. They eat fruits, berries, seeds, worms, and caterpillars. During courtship displays, the male will hop around the female with his tail feathers raised high and often bowing and chirping. They measure 5.5 to 7.1in in length, and weigh 0.5 to 1.4oz.