Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.5–5.9 in
14–15 cm - Wingspan
- 7.9–8.7 in
20–22 cm - Weight
- 0.6–1 oz
18–28 g
Other Names
- Moineau friquet (French)
- Gorrión molinero (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Eurasian Tree Sparrow typically lives near people, but it has been displaced from urban centers and into more rural areas by its larger and more aggressive relative the House Sparrow.
- Outside of North America, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow shows considerable variation in plumage and size, which has resulted in the naming of up to 33 separate races. The North American birds came originally from Germany and are from the most widespread race.
Habitat
Town
Wooded urban parkland, farms, and rural wood lots.
Food
Seeds
Grain and seeds.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 4–7 eggs
- Egg Description
- White to pale gray, heavily marked with spots, small blotches, or speckling.
- Condition at Hatching
- Naked and helpless.
Nest Description
Domed structure of loosely intertwined (not woven) stems of dried grass, straw, and rootlets surrounding a cup lined with softer materials such as feathers, fur, flower parts, waste paper, bits of cloth, string, and green leaves. Entrance is on side. Placed in naturally occurring hole in tree.
Nest Placement
Cavity
Behavior
Ground Forager
Forages on ground and in trees.
Conservation
Least Concern
Introduced population not large, expanding range slightly.
Credits
- Barlow, J. C., and S. N. Leckie. 2000. Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus). In The Birds of North America, No. 560 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.