Field sparrow male and female. Tree sparrow - description, habitat, interesting facts. Differences between field and house sparrows

Sparrows are the most common birds in large and small cities, villages and towns. People are so used to them that they don’t even know where these crumbs originate, which, by the way, are on the other side of the planet. The homeland of house sparrows is considered to be Asia, as well as the Mediterranean and the Middle East. To learn about these birds others Interesting Facts, you need to find out everything about their appearance, behavior, nutrition and habits.

Description of sparrows

In populated areas you can find two types of these tiny birds - brownie and field. The house sparrow always lives close to humans. Representatives of this bird species have remarkably adapted to living conditions near people. They are not afraid even of the harsh climate that prevails in most Russian cities. Sparrows are sedentary birds. They can migrate closer to the south only from the coldest cities with severe winters.

Appearance of birds

The house sparrow is very small in size. Its body length ranges from 14 to 18 cm. The weight of this small bird can be from 25 to 39 g. The head is quite large in relation to the body, and has a round shape. The sparrow's beak is wide and conical. Its length can reach 1.5 cm. The bird looks strong and quite large for its weight. The tail is usually 5-6 cm in size. The length of the limbs is about 2-2.5 cm.

Female sparrows are significantly smaller than males. The color of their plumage also differs according to gender. The upper part of the bird's body is always brown. In this case, the lower one has a light gray color. The wings of sparrows are framed with white and yellow transverse stripes. The differences between the female and the male are the color of the head and neck. In males, the crown is always dark gray, and the area under the eyes is light gray. The throat and chest are framed by a black spot. In females, the crown and neck are always light brown. During the mating season, the color of the birds' feathers darkens significantly. The description of house sparrows at this time may slightly differ from the above characteristics.

Sparrow breeding

The house species of these birds always settles near human habitation. They can nest in separate pairs, and sometimes join in groups. Sparrows make nests in trees, in cracks and crevices of old buildings, under the roofs of houses, and also in thickets of bushes. Both representatives of the couple are always involved in the construction of housing. To do this, they use dry grass, straw, and small branches. A depression is always built in the center of the nest to prevent eggs or chicks from falling out.

Most often, the female begins laying eggs in April. The nest can then contain up to 10 eggs. They are white with brown spots. The incubation period lasts approximately 2 weeks. When the chicks hatch, the female and male begin to feed them insects together. Babies acquire the ability to fly within two weeks of birth. Their lifespan can reach 10 years. However, only a small part of birds survive even to 4 years.

What do sparrows eat?

Their diet mostly consists of plant products. House sparrows love various seeds, grains of cereals and herbs. However, most often they have to make do with what is available in populated areas. That's why sparrows eat human food waste, insects, berries and even buds on trees.

Not everyone knows what the house sparrow eats winter period. Indeed, at this time, the main part of the diet of these birds, which consists of vegetation, disappears from access. Fortunately, birds are often fed by people. All kinds of feeders with seeds and crackers can save the lives of hundreds of birds that cannot withstand a hungry winter and die from the cold. Like many other birds, sparrows need sand to digest their food well. Sometimes birds eat small pebbles and dried hard grains instead.

Tree sparrows

They are not so attached to human habitats. Therefore, they often settle in steppe and field areas. The name of the bird species comes from this feature. The house sparrow lives in cities and residential areas. But the field ones can be found on the outskirts of villages, which is why they are often called village ones. These birds have no external differences in gender. Females and males have the same feather color and size.

Tree sparrows prefer warm and dry climates. They never live together with the house species of birds. If they have to cross paths, it is always accompanied by fights and competition for territory. Each type has a high social activity. These birds are not afraid of people or pets. Therefore, you can very often see how a sparrow brazenly eats food from a bowl of a street dog, which is sleeping peacefully, not noticing that it is being eaten by a small bird.

During the spring and summer, tree sparrows eat insects, and after the crops ripen, they switch to food from fields, gardens and vineyards. Plant food during this period is quite enough for them. When cold weather sets in, birds have to make do with grains and weed seeds. Sometimes they fly into the courtyards of residential buildings to find some food for themselves.

Differences between field and house sparrows

Not everyone knows how to distinguish a tree sparrow from a house sparrow. The field variety of birds is a bit similar to male house birds. But at the same time they have a more elegant shape and less weight. An adult has a body length of 12 to 14 cm. The main difference between these species is the color of the crown and back of the head. These parts of their body are bright chestnut in color. Tree sparrows also have small black spots in the ear area and under the beak. The birds' necks are framed by a collar of snow-white feathers, and their wings have not one, but two light stripes.

Both sparrow species have high mortality rates. Despite the fact that these birds can live up to 10 years, few of them survive even their first winter. Like all birds living in harsh climatic conditions and wildlife, they are exposed to various dangers every day. Lack of food in winter is the main one. That is why, with the onset of cold weather, people make feeders from scrap materials, and then fill them with sunflower seeds or other plants. Such kindness and care on the part of humans annually saves hundreds of sparrows from starvation.

Appearance and behavior. A small, densely built bird. Body length 14–17 cm, weight 15–30 g. An integral element of the avifauna of almost any populated area. In contrast, it is not so strongly attached to human settlements and can nest in undisturbed natural landscapes.

Description. The male and female, unlike the house and black-breasted sparrows, are colored the same; seasonal color changes are insignificant. The top of the head is light chestnut. The cheek and ear coverts are whitish; on the cheek there is an expressive black spot of a semicircular shape. A clear and wide white collar extends from the lower edge of the cheek up to the neck, which is only slightly interrupted by the chestnut plumage of the neck, and more often is not interrupted. There is a small black spot on the throat that does not extend to the chest. The back is brownish-red, with longitudinal black stripes. The rump is brownish-ochreous. The underparts are whitish with a buffy tint, which is more developed on the sides. The flight feathers and their coverts are dark brown, with a contrasting brownish and buffy edge. The ends of the middle coverts of the secondary flight feathers have wide white tips, merging into a noticeable white stripe at the fold of the wing. The tail feathers are brownish-brown, with buffy edges. The eyes are dark brown, the beak is black, the paws are flesh-colored.

Young birds are much duller in color, with all the black in the plumage replaced by greyish-brown. The beak is brownish, with yellow edges and yellow corners of the mouth. The tree sparrow differs from the house sparrow in having a chestnut top of the head, the presence of a semicircular black spot on the cheek, and the absence of sexual dimorphism. It is also distinguished by the absence of sexual dimorphism, a lighter-colored back, and the absence of black streaks on the sides of the body and on the rump. It differs from both species in its smaller size, compact build and slightly shortened tail.

Voice. Very similar to the house sparrow's voice, but generally sharper and higher pitched. The most characteristic screams are “ chip», « tet», « tsuyt" And " tsivip", used both individually and in short series. Instead of a song, it uses a repeated series of calls.

Distribution, status. In most of the territory of Russia it lives everywhere up to the subarctic; nesting in the Arctic is irregular. It inhabits all main types of landscapes - from mountain and taiga forests to dry steppes and semi-deserts, but nowhere does it reach such numbers as in the anthropogenic landscape. Extremely flexible in terms of biotopic preferences. In natural landscapes, it is much more widespread than the brownie, but in most cases the spread of the species is associated with anthropogenic landscapes. In populated areas, it gravitates more towards the outskirts and avoids dense multi-storey buildings. It is one of the most numerous birds of populated areas and diverse anthropogenic landscapes.

Lifestyle. In most of its range it leads a sedentary lifestyle, but the northernmost populations undergo winter migrations. Unlike the house sparrow, it often lives in isolated pairs, although nesting settlements and small colonies are also quite common. Nests in niches and cavities of human structures, in hollows, hollows, burrows, in the walls of stork nests, birds of prey and corvids. The nest building is a loose ball of grass, plant fibers, feathers, down and wool. In the steppe zone in the south of the region, open nesting is possible in the crowns of trees and shrubs.

The clutch contains 2–7 whitish eggs with a pattern of gray or brown specks of varying density. The female and the male incubate alternately. Incubation lasts 10–14 days; both parents feed the chicks for 12–20 days.

Over the summer, a couple can raise two or even three broods. Feeding preferences are similar to those of the house sparrow; it feeds mainly on cereal grains, seeds, berries, fruits, insects, as well as any food that the bird can find in cities and towns. Tree Sparrow ()

Passer montanus

The tree sparrow is a very common bird in our latitudes. Outwardly, it is very difficult to distinguish it from an ordinary house sparrow, but there are still differences.

There are slight differences in the color and structure of feathers, by which it is possible to distinguish related birds, as well as a slight difference in size - field birds are smaller than their house counterparts. And it is also worth considering that the field subspecies completely lacks sexual dimorphism, that is, the female does not differ in appearance from the male, which cannot be said about house sparrows.

Appearance of a tree sparrow

At first glance, it is difficult to distinguish the tree sparrow from its familiar house brother. However, if you study the bird in detail, it becomes clear that it is much smaller and differently colored. The most noticeable thing is the brown “cap” on the head, which is why in the West they are called red-headed. The feathers near the ears, the stripe under the eyes and the throat are black, and there is a black dot on the white cheek. The side of the neck is also white.

The tail, wings and back of the tree sparrow are brownish-brown, sometimes with dark patches. The abdomen is light, darkening towards the sides.

The beak is colored from black to brown. Juveniles are much less intensely colored than adults. In general, ornithologists today distinguish 33 species of tree sparrow, which have minor differences among themselves.

Like the common sparrow we are accustomed to, the field sparrow is widespread throughout Eurasia, with the exception of the cold northern regions. In some areas they mix with their domestic counterparts, forming massive flocks.

However, in the south of the Far East, the tree sparrow lives almost everywhere, which cannot be said about the brownie. Due to its natural ability to adapt to any living conditions, this bird quickly spreads throughout the territory where people live. Such a neighborhood often provides birds with an abundance of food and shelter, where they live.

Tree sparrows are flocking birds that lead a sedentary or nomadic lifestyle.

Natural habitats are shrubs, plantings, floodplain lowlands, open forests, the outskirts of cities and people's homes themselves. You won’t find a sparrow in a dense wild forest - it is drawn to food and proximity to civilization.

Lifestyle and nutrition of the tree sparrow

It is found frequently in nature and inhabits our entire continent. It often finds artificial shelters, or occupies the burrows of other birds in clay and earthen cliffs. They build nests near fields with grain crops so as not to have problems with food supplies. They feed mainly on small insects and cereals, but do not disdain the remains of human food, crumbs, plant seeds and other types of pasture.

In captivity, the tree sparrow should be fed in the same way as other birds of its species. There are ready-made balanced foods that will allow your pet to live a long and healthy life.

Reproduction of tree sparrows

The tree sparrow is often monogamous, and prefers to form a pair on for a long time. Each pair builds nests separately, at a distance from neighbors, but sometimes settlements of 5-6 nests are found.

The typical shape of the nest is spherical, up to 15 cm in diameter. Sparrows are very responsible about building nests, and therefore build them for quite a long time - sometimes for several months. It is woven from thin twigs and grass stems. The entrance is located on the side, in the upper half of the ball. The inside of the entire nest is lined with feathers, down and soft grass. In the city you can often find nests made of cotton wool and threads, which are brought from the garbage by sparrows.

Listen to the voice of the tree sparrow

Tree sparrows sometimes build their nests in the most unusual places - under the roofs of houses, in hollows of trees, in birdhouses and abandoned burrows of other birds and animals. From late April to July, females lay two clutches of eggs, 3-5 in each. In warm countries, the breeding period increases several times. The main thing is that there is an abundance of insects, which are the main food for the chicks.

Tree sparrows are classified accordingly in the passerine family. They are among the closest relatives of house birds. But due to their natural characteristics, they are not so dependent on people, preferring to avoid them. You can meet field representatives of the group on the outskirts of the city, as well as in sparsely populated areas or completely abandoned areas. It is important for them that there are cereal crops nearby, as well as orchards or vineyards. Due to their natural characteristics, individuals prefer to live in bright areas, steppes and among bushes.

Description

The bird's body is not large in size. It grows in length to a maximum of 16 cm with a body weight of 30 grams. (maximum value). If we compare this species of sparrows with house birds, we can say the following. They are not tied to human activity, and therefore can exist in uninhabited territories.
Male and female individuals are pigmented in the same tones. Regardless of the season of the year, this color will vary only slightly. The top of the head is pigmented chestnut. The cheeks and upper feathers on the wings are whitish. There is a distinct black spot on the cheeks.
In the area behind the neck there is a so-called necklace white. It may be intermittent, with a chestnut tint. The neck is famous for having a black mark that does not extend down to the chest. The upper part of the body is colored red and brown; there are oblong stripes on the tail.
The area above the tail is buffy with a slight brown tone. The lower part of the body is whitish, with inclusions of an ocher tint. The same color extends to the sides of the body. The wings are brownish, dark, with a characteristic light brown edge. There is a whitish mark on the folds of the wings. The tail is brown-brown, its edges are colored buffy. The beak is pigmented black, the irises are brown, and the legs are beige-pink.
The young animals are quite faded in color. It does not have black feathers, but instead has brownish-gray hues. The beak is also brown, the edges are yellowish, as are the corners of the mouth. Field representatives differ from house sparrows in that the top of the head is chestnut in color. Individuals have black spots on their cheeks, and there is no difference in gender.
From other representatives passerine family, for example, individuals with a black breast, the field sparrow has a light back. These birds have unique feature look harmonious with its miniature size and short-cropped tail.
As for the voice of these feathered relatives, their calls are somewhat reminiscent of the voice of house sparrows. But it is sharper and louder, there is no softness. If we try to briefly convey the exclamations, they sound like “tsup”, “chip”, “tsvi”. These sounds can alternate or be pronounced separately.

Habitat

Individuals are more common in our country. They live everywhere, but are rare in the Arctic zone. The subarctic is closer to them. As for the choice of landscape, they live from taiga to mountainous areas. Found in arid steppes and deserts.
Quickly adapt to different climatic conditions. In terms of their natural numbers, tree sparrows are larger than house sparrows. But this is due to the vast area in which these birds prefer to settle.
Considering the accumulation of birds in cities, we can say that they live exclusively on the outskirts. They do not approach high-rise buildings and are not found in park areas and public gardens.

Lifestyle

Birds are sedentary; they do not like to roam from one place to another. Only populations living in the far north can go to other warm places for the winter. These birds live in pairs, do not form colonies during nesting, and stay apart.
Abandoned stone buildings or hollows, as well as burrows and former stork nesting sites are chosen as areas for housing construction. A nest is a rounded ball made from blades of grass, wool, and feathers. If they live in the steppe, then tree crowns and bushes are used to build nests.
A clutch can contain a maximum of 7 whitish eggs. At the same time, there is a pattern and inclusions. Both partners take turns doing hatching. Often such manipulations last no more than 2 weeks. Also, parents raise new offspring together.
This can last up to 20 days until the chicks grow up. It is worth noting that adults are capable of breeding 2-3 offspring per season. As for the diet, it is similar to the house sparrow.
The individuals in question prefer to feast on fruits, seeds, grains, insects, and mosquitoes. The diet of such birds is quite varied. They can easily find food for themselves, regardless of the time of year.

Characteristics

In most cases, tree sparrows are monogamous individuals. Therefore, birds prefer to form a pair for a long period. After this, the adults begin building a nest. At this time, they move away from their neighbors at a sufficient distance. In rare cases, you can find settlements with up to 6 nests.
The dwelling has a typical spherical shape. The diameter can reach up to 15 cm. It is worth mentioning separately that the birds in question are responsible for the construction of their home. Therefore, the construction of a nest can often be delayed even for several months.

Tree sparrows are fairly common birds. They can spend a long time building a nest. At the same time, their homes may be in completely unusual places. For example, their houses are found in hollow trees, under the roofs of houses and in abandoned burrows of small animals or other birds.

Video: Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)

Sparrows are familiar small birds to everyone, but few people know that there are two species - house sparrows and tree sparrows. See photos of sparrows of both species.

House sparrows and tree sparrows are closely related species of birds from the passerine family and the genus true sparrows. Both species are widespread almost all over the world, familiar and easily recognizable by their discreet but characteristic appearance and a kind of chirping.

House sparrows (left) and field sparrows (right).

Despite the obvious similarities, house sparrows and tree sparrows differ in size and color of plumage, as well as in their area of distribution. But man’s attitude towards these sparrows is exactly the same: birds bring undeniable benefits, destroying many insect pests, but at the same time cause significant harm agriculture, eating cereal crops.

The fight against sparrows is a double-edged sword: the mass extermination of sparrows entails an invasion of insect pests and in any case, the harvest is under threat. Therefore, having assessed the damage from these misfortunes, the man left the birds alone, choosing the lesser of two evils.

House sparrow

These small birds are a typical synanthropic species, always living near human habitation, which is why they received such a name.

Appearance

Individuals of both sexes grow up to 16 cm in length and weigh from 23 to 35 g, and males and females can be distinguished by the color of their plumage. Their general coloring is the same: the cheeks are white, the plumage of the upper part of the body is rusty, brownish-brown in color with black spots, and the underside is gray or whitish. A pale yellow horizontal stripe is clearly visible on the wings.

The main difference between males is the dark gray crown and a large black spot from the chin, which extends to the throat, crop and upper chest. Females do not have such a spot, but above the eyes there is a faded yellowish stripe.

Habitat and lifestyle

It is interesting that house sparrows used to live exclusively in Northern Europe, but as humans began to develop new lands globally, they followed him throughout Europe and large areas of Asia and Africa. These birds were brought to the USA, Australia, New Zealand and many island countries, where they successfully took root.

In all areas of its range, the house sparrow is a sedentary species; only representatives of the northern populations migrate to the south in winter. Being dependent on humans, birds live in cities and villages, wherever there is enough food and food suitable conditions for nesting.

A house sparrow collects materials to build a nest.

Nutrition and reproduction

The basis of the diet of house sparrows are seeds of cereals, sunflowers, hemp, peas, food waste, berries of stone fruits, currants, grapes. In winter, birds feed on weed seeds, and in spring, insects are added to the diet, which also feed the chicks.

Nesting of house sparrows in central Russia occurs in February and March, and the mating season is stormy, with fights and loud screams. Birds form monogamous pairs and both are engaged in nest building. In the south, nests are built directly on tree branches, in the north - in crevices of buildings, in hollows, birdhouses, in holes along river banks and even on the sides of nests of storks, eagles and herons.

The clutch contains from 4 to 10 white eggs with brown specks, and incubation lasts 11 to 13 days. Both parents feed the offspring, and at the age of 10 days the chicks are already able to fly. House sparrows are quite prolific and, depending on their range, breed 2 or 3 times a year.

Tree sparrows are not so attached to human habitation, so they are found on the outskirts settlements and stay more in the steppes and woodlands. These birds are also called country sparrows and red-crowned sparrows.

Tree sparrow on a branch.

Tree sparrow on the rail.

Tree sparrow on a branch.

What does a tree sparrow look like?

Males and females are no different from each other. Externally, the birds are similar to the male house sparrow, but more graceful and small: the length of an adult individual is from 12.5 to 14 cm.

Their main difference is that the crown and back of the head are bright chestnut in color, and black spots are clearly visible on the ear area. The tree sparrow's "breastplate" is also black, but does not extend to the chest, and a collar of white feathers is clearly visible around the neck. On the wings of birds there are not one, but two stripes of a light shade.

Where do tree sparrows live?

These birds are found throughout much of Europe and Asia. In the past, tree sparrows were introduced to Australia, where the birds multiplied to alarming proportions, but released in the North American state of Missouri, they did not spread beyond the three states.

Depending on their habitat, tree sparrows live sedentary or migrate to the south. In areas where the ranges of tree sparrows and house sparrows overlap, the birds compete with each other, and although they are flocking birds, they never mix, although they live side by side.

Nutrition and reproduction

In spring and summer, the diet of the tree sparrow consists of various insects and their larvae; during the period of ripening crops, the birds migrate to fields, gardens and vineyards, where they switch to plant food. In winter, birds are content with weed seeds and tree buds, and often fly into residential buildings in search of food.

In the south, nesting of tree sparrows begins in December, European populations nest in March and April. These birds are considered monogamous, however, cases of copulation between members of different pairs sometimes occur. Just like house sparrows, tree sparrows nest in pairs or small colonies and bear offspring 2-3 times a year. Nests are made under the roofs of houses, in the cavities of stumps, hollows, in cracks in stones, birdhouses, nest boxes and the walls of nests of birds of prey.

Construction of the nest lasts about a month, and its shape is very similar to the nest of a house sparrow - the same round, made of grass, wool and feathers, but a little rougher. The clutch contains from 3 to 7 eggs of white, grayish or yellowish color with many dark specks. Both members of the pair take turns incubating the clutch for 11 - 14 days, jointly feeding and warming the offspring. After 3 weeks, the chicks are already able to fly, but for another 2 weeks they feed at the expense of their parents, then they gather in small flocks and leave the nesting area with the onset of cold weather.

Mortality among both species is quite high, and although among sparrows there are long-livers, living for 9 and 11 years, rare individuals live up to 4 years, and on average, they live no more than 9 - 21 months.