Sparrow

American tree sparrow Spizella arborea

Description

Small, seed-eating birds (families Passeridae and Fringillidae) that are commonly found in North America, Europe, and Australia. The English sparrow (Passer domesticus) was introduced to North America (Brooklyn) in 1852 and has since spread throughout the continent. Also called the house sparrow, it likes to nest in house eaves and masonry holes. Sparrows can be aggresive and often produce significant debris and deleterious droppings (see guano). Numerous deterrent methods used for larger birds, such as nets, spikes, wires, gels, plastic owls, electric shocks, along with many types of mechanical and ultrasonic devices are being used with moderate success.

White-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys

Synonyms and Related Terms

English sparrow (Passer domesticus); house sparrow

Additional Images

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  Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia

Authority

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "house sparrow." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service 17 Mar. 2005 .

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparrow