They can be found almost everywhere where people live, from cities to farmland.
The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) was top in the RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch 2018 (in Gloucestershire and the country as a whole). They are so close to people because we provide them with food, either through the crops we grow for our food or the waste we leave behind. It is believed that this relationship with humans has lasted for around 10,000 years! House sparrows have been introduced by people to many parts of the world, including parts of Australia, Africa, and the Americas, making them the most widely distributed wild bird in the world. However, there has been a severe drop in UK house sparrow numbers, with sparrows now being on the UK Red List needing urgent conservation action.
They show sexual dimorphism (where the males and females look very different). Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey while the males have brighter black, white, and brown markings.
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