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| House sparrows among the cattails on the Greenway |
As part of the avian trifecta of ubiquitous urban non-natives (alongside starlings and rock doves/pigeons), they are one of the most common birds you will find in landscapes modified by humans. These European natives were originally brought to the U.S. in the middle of the 19th century (and identified as pests shortly thereafter), and have since spread over nearly all of North America.
They are reviled for their gluttonous behavior at bird feeders, and for their habit of evicting or taking over nesting spots from native cavity nesters like Eastern bluebirds, woodpeckers, and tree swallows. They may also build nests in inconvenient (for humans) places like house vents or perhaps among the letters of your local Hy-Vee sign.
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| Male house sparrow |
With their gray caps and black bibs (more prominent during breeding season), the males really are cute little birds and rather distinctive as sparrows go. The females, I confess, I can't tell apart from any of the other "little brown jobbies" that may frequent the area; I rely on proximity to the males together with a larger size for tentative ID, but I am not confident enough to declare any individual female a house sparrow with authority.
Because of their close proximity to humans, flocks of house sparrows offer an interesting opportunity to study bird behavior. There is a hierarchy, with more dominant males generally showing larger black bibs on their chests. Courtship and dominance displays can be observed among individuals in a group at a backyard feeder. They are year-round residents in Iowa and will happily consume cheap millet seed mixes.
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| A female (? I assume) house sparrow |
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