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Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches

Old World sparrows are small, brown, and grey birds belonging to the family Passeridae, known for their seed-eating habits and brooding in urban environments, particularly buildings. They should not be confused with the New World sparrows of the family Passerellidae or the Java sparrow, which is unrelated. Old World sparrows are widespread, encompassing various species such as the house and Eurasian tree sparrows that thrive in cities. These birds have a stout build, with short tails, strong beaks, and range in size from the tiny chestnut sparrow to the larger parrot-billed sparrow. While their appearance might be similar to finches, they have unique anatomical features like an extra bone in the tongue to aid in seed handling. First introduced by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815, the family Passeridae typically comprises true sparrows (Passer), snowfinches (Montifringilla), and rock sparrows (Petronia), among others. Historically, sparrows were often grouped with weavers or finches due to similar characteristics. The family contains various genera, with species adapted to a range of habitats including forests, grasslands, and deserts; for example, the snowfinches inhabit cold, high-altitude regions. Social creatures, Old World sparrows often form large flocks and breed colonially, with species like the house sparrow assembling in big roosts for non-breeding periods. They engage in dust or water bathing, followed by group preening and sometimes collective singing. House sparrows usually lay 3-6 eggs with an incubation period of around two weeks. Sparrows have had a long-standing engagement with humans, spanning from agricultural pest control to serving as pets. They hold symbolic value in various cultures, often representing commonality or in religious texts as emblems of divine care. The family's distribution is primarily across Europe, Africa, and Asia, with some species introduced by humans to other regions such as North America and Australia. Attempts to manage sparrow populations due to their impact on agriculture, such as China's Great Sparrow Campaign, have often proven ineffective or counterproductive. Despite a reputation for being mundane or associated with lewdness in historical texts, sparrows maintain a significant place in human history, from being kept as colorful pets in Rome to featuring in religious and literary works as symbols of love or divine watchfulness.

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African & Green Broadbills
African & New World Parrots
African Barbets
Albatrosses
Anhingas, Darters
Auks
Austral Storm Petrels
Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Bulbuls
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Bushshrikes
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
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Coursers, Pratincoles
Cranes
Crombecs, African Warblers
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Dapple-throat & Allies
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Egyptian Plover
Fairy Flycatchers
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
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Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Gannets, Boobies
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Ground Hornbills
Guineafowl
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Hamerkop
Herons, Bitterns
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Hylias
Hyliotas
Ibises, Spoonbills
Indigobirds, Whydahs
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Kingfishers
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Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Monarchs
Mousebirds
New World Quail
Nicators
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Old World Parrots

Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches

Ospreys
Ostriches
Owls
Oxpeckers
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Penguins
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Plovers
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rockfowl
Rollers
Sandgrouse
Sandpipers, Snipes
Secretarybird
Shoebill
Shrikes
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Streaked Scrub Warbler
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Turacos
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Wagtails, Pipits
Wattle-eyes, Batises
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Weavers, Widowbirds
White-eyes
Wood Hoopoes
Woodpeckers
Yellow Flycatchers
A photo of a Cape Sparrow (Passer melanurus) , male

Cape Sparrow

Passer melanurus

Chestnut Sparrow

Passer eminibey

Desert Sparrow

Passer simplex

Great Sparrow

Passer motitensis
A photo of a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) , male

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

Kordofan Sparrow

Passer cordofanicus

Northern Grey-headed Sparrow

Passer griseus

Sahel Bush Sparrow

Gymnoris dentata
A photo of a Southern Grey-headed Sparrow (Passer diffusus)

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow

Passer diffusus
A photo of a Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) , male

Spanish Sparrow

Passer hispaniolensis

Sudan Golden Sparrow

Passer luteus
A photo of a Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)

Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow

Gymnoris pyrgita
A photo of a Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow (Gymnoris superciliaris)

Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow

Gymnoris superciliaris
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Species Categories

African & Green BroadbillsAfrican & New World ParrotsAfrican BarbetsAlbatrossesAnhingas, DartersAuksAustral Storm PetrelsBarn OwlsBee-eatersBulbulsBuntingsBushshrikesBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCranesCrombecs, African WarblersCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesDapple-throat & AlliesDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansEgyptian PloverFairy FlycatchersFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFinfootsFlamingosFlufftailsFrigatebirdsGannets, BoobiesGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGround HornbillsGuineafowlGulls, Terns, SkimmersHamerkopHerons, BitternsHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsHyliasHyliotasIbises, SpoonbillsIndigobirds, WhydahsJacanasKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesMonarchsMousebirdsNew World QuailNicatorsNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOstrichesOwlsOxpeckersOystercatchersPainted-snipesPelicansPenduline TitsPenguinsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloversRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRockfowlRollersSandgrouseSandpipers, SnipesSecretarybirdShoebillShrikesSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksStreaked Scrub WarblerSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTrogonsTropicbirdsTuracosTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesWagtails, PipitsWattle-eyes, BatisesWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWeavers, WidowbirdsWhite-eyesWood HoopoesWoodpeckersYellow Flycatchers

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