House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is probably the best-known bird here, as it is man’s faithful companion. In its stretched form it measures about 15 cm in length. For the house sparrow, sexual dimorphism is characteristic, i.e., the female and male have different coloration. The male is more colorful than the female. It has a gray forehead and dark, the cheeks are dirty white; the chest, belly and flanks and the tail are smoky gray. From the base of its sturdy, conical beak a black stripe runs a little behind the eye, and for the male there is also a black chin-strap, which can spread to the chest. Just behind the eye there is also a whitish patch. From the eye over the nape there is a chestnut-brown band. Its brown back and wings and tail are longitudinally striped black.
Also the female and juvenile individuals have brown and black longitudinally striped wings, back and tail. The black chin-strap and the black stripe from the beak to the eye are absent in them. The female has a gray forehead and dark mask, and the chest, belly and hips, whereas unlike the male she has brownish face and a light eyebrow stripe.
The House Sparrow is a permanent resident that nests in colonies. The social nature of house sparrows is most evident in winter, when they group together to search for food, rest and groom themselves. It is a noisy species that can unleash an immense racket when every sparrow wants to say its own “chip! chip!” at the same time. It is a diurnal species that feeds mainly on seeds. In winter it is a frequent guest at bird feeders. In the warm part of the year, especially during the nesting period, it also hunts various insects and their larvae, with which in the first weeks of development it feeds its young.
The House Sparrow has adapted to life near humans. It is a resident of farms and villages as well as parks, suburbs and the very urban centers. It nests colonially in cracks and holes in walls and trees, under eaves and in nest boxes that people place in settlements. It is one of the most common and most widespread bird species here, but not everywhere. In the last decades there has been a noticeable decline in its populations, especially in Western European countries. It is threatened by changes in agricultural practices, which cause seeds to be scarce on fields over winter; as well as stricter rules regarding seed storage that require completely closed buildings; and the disappearance of hedges and trees from cities, where in summer it could find enough food for its young.
