Latin name - Passer domesticus

House Sparrows, so long a common sight in the cities and towns of the United Kingdom, are facing a serious decline in their numbers. We are lucky because our local population seems to be increasing over the last 3 years with many more successful nest sites each year. The sexes are different in appearance with the male having a grey crown, brown and black streaked upper-parts, grey rump and under-parts, black throat and dull white cheeks, black bib, white wing bars and a black eye stripe. The female is much paler, more a dull brown without the grey crown, white cheeks, black bib or eye stripe; young sparrows closely resemble female sparrows. The House Sparrow eats a wide range of foods and will take almost anything you put out for it, perhaps the reason for their successful breeding in our local gardens.