Some of the many types of small birds known as sparrows are among the best-known and most abundant birds in the world. Despite their size, sparrows are hardy and adaptable. They are able to live in a wide range of places, including towns, farms, grasslands, woodlands, bogs, and thickets. Some sparrows migrate to warmer places in autumn, but others stay in their territory all winter. Their diet is made up mostly of seeds, but they will also eat insects when they are available. Many sparrows are fairly similar in appearance. Most are brown and gray, and all have cone-shaped bills, which they use to crush seeds. One way to tell one type of sparrow from another is by knowing a bird's striped or streaked pattern of feathers. These patterns can be difficult to see, however, because sparrows rarely allow people to get near them. For this reason sparrows are often most easily identified by their unique songs. Sparrows can be divided into two broad groups: the Old World sparrows and the New World sparrows. The Old World sparrows are native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, but some have found their way to other parts of the world. The New World sparrows are found in North, Central, and South America. Some Old World sparrowsThe most familiar of the Old World sparrows is the house, or English, sparrow. The house sparrow is about 51/2 inches (14 centimeters) long, with brown upper parts and a gray underside. The male has black on the throat and around the eyes. The house sparrow originally lived only in Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. In the 19th century, however, Europeans brought it with them to East Asia, Southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the New World. In the early 1850s house sparrows were introduced to North America with the release of some birds in New York. Within a century the tough, fearless birds had spread across the entire continent. House sparrows live wherever humans do. They are common in both cities and towns and on farms. Some house sparrows build nests in trees, but others use holes in buildings, window ledges, birdhouses, or other places. Both birds of a mating pair take part in building the nest, which is made of feathers and straw. The female usually lays three to seven eggs at a time. In warm regions house sparrows breed nearly year-round. They are so widespread—and noisy—that some people consider them to be pests. The Old World sparrows also include several close relatives of the house sparrow. The Eurasian tree sparrow is another bird that was brought to North America from its original home in Europe. Released in Saint Louis, Missouri, in 1870, tree sparrows became common in the city and the surrounding area. The tougher house sparrow, however, kept them from spreading very far. Tree sparrows have reddish brown crowns and black ear patches. Among the other Old World sparrows are the Dead Sea sparrow of Western Asia, the Cape sparrow of Southern Africa, the chestnut sparrow of Eastern Africa, and the plain-backed sparrow of Southeast Asia. Some New World sparrowsPerhaps the best known of the New World sparrows is the song sparrow. It is found in thickets and marshes throughout much of North America. Its name comes from its habit of singing day and night throughout the year. Song sparrows vary in color, but they all have dark streaks on the breast. Most also have a dark spot in the center of the breast. Song sparrows usually build their nests on the ground or in a bush or low tree. The female generally lays three to five eggs at a time. The chicks hatch after about 12–14 days. Some other New World sparrows are also notable for the sounds they make. The chipping sparrow is named for its song, a series of high-pitched “chips” often given so rapidly that the bird may be mistaken for a cricket. It is found across North America and south to Nicaragua. The grasshopper sparrow also is named for its song, which sounds like a grasshopper's buzz. It lives in North America, Central America, the West Indies, and northwestern South America. The song of the North American fox sparrow sounds like a flute. |