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Eurasian tree sparrow
The tree sparrow (Passer montanus) is a passerine bird in the sparrow family with a rich chestnut crown and nape and a black patch on each pure white cheek. The sexes have similar plumage, and young birds are duller versions of the adult. This sparrow breeds across much of temperate Eurasia and Southeast Asia and has been introduced elsewhere, including the United States, where it is known as the Eurasian tree sparrow or German sparrow to differentiate it from the native American tree sparrow. Although several subspecies are recognised, the appearance of this bird varies little across its extensive range.
The untidy nest of the tree sparrow is built in a natural cavity, a hole in a building, or the disused nest of a European magpie or white stork. The typical clutch is five or six eggs, which hatch in under two weeks. This sparrow mainly feeds on seeds, but also consumes invertebrates, particularly during the breeding season. As with other small birds, infection by parasites and diseases, as well as predation by birds of prey, take their toll, and the typical lifespan is about two years.
The tree sparrow is widespread in the towns and cities of eastern Asia, but in Europe, it inhabits lightly wooded open countryside, while the house sparrow breeds in more urban areas. The tree sparrow's extensive range and large population mean it is not globally endangered, although there have been significant population declines in Western Europe, partly due to changes in farming practices involving increased use of herbicides and the loss of winter stubble fields. In eastern Asia and western Australia, this species is sometimes considered a pest, though it is also widely celebrated in oriental art.
The tree sparrow is 12.5–14 cm (5–5+1⁄2 in) long, with a wingspan of about 21 cm (8.3 in) and a weight of 24 g (0.85 oz), making it roughly 10% smaller than the house sparrow. The adult's crown and nape are rich chestnut, and there is a kidney-shaped black ear patch on each pure white cheek; the chin, throat, and the area between the bill and throat are black. The upperparts are light brown, streaked with black, and the brown wings have two distinct narrow white bars. The legs are pale brown, and the bill is lead-blue in summer, becoming almost black in winter.
This sparrow is distinctive within its genus because there are no plumage differences between the sexes. Juveniles also resemble adults, although their colours tend to be duller. Its contrasting face pattern makes this species easily identifiable in all plumages; the smaller size and brown, not grey, crown are additional differences from the male house sparrow. Both adult and juvenile tree sparrows undergo a slow, complete moult in autumn and experience an increase in body mass, despite a reduction in stored fat. This change in mass is due to an increase in blood volume to support active feather growth, as well as a higher overall body water content.
The tree sparrow does not have a true song, but its vocalisations include an excited series of tschip calls made by unpaired or courting males. Other monosyllabic chirps are used for social interaction, and the flight call is a harsh teck. A study comparing the vocalisations of the introduced Missouri population with those of birds from Germany showed that the US birds had fewer shared syllable types (memes) and more structure within the population than the European sparrows. This may be due to the small size of the original North American population, resulting in a loss of genetic diversity.
The Old World sparrow genus Passer is a group of small passerine birds that is believed to have originated in Africa, and which contains 15–25 species depending on the authority. Its members are typically found in open, lightly wooded, habitats, although several species, notably the house sparrow (P. domesticus) have adapted to human habitations. Most species in the genus are typically 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in) long, predominantly brown or greyish birds with short square tails and stubby conical beaks. They are primarily ground-feeding seed-eaters, although they also consume invertebrates, especially when breeding. The Eurasian species is not closely related to the American tree sparrow (Spizelloides arborea), which is in a different family, the New World sparrows.
The tree sparrow's binomial name is derived from two Latin words: passer, "sparrow", and montanus, "of the mountains" (from mons "mountain"). The tree sparrow was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 Systema Naturae as Fringilla montana, but, along with the house sparrow, it was soon moved from the finches (family Fringillidae) into the new genus Passer created by French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The tree sparrow's common name is given because it prefers tree holes for nesting. This name, and the scientific name montanus, do not appropriately describe this species's habitat preferences: the German name Feldsperling and the Hungarian name mezei veréb ("field sparrow") comes closer to doing so.
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Eurasian tree sparrow
The tree sparrow (Passer montanus) is a passerine bird in the sparrow family with a rich chestnut crown and nape and a black patch on each pure white cheek. The sexes have similar plumage, and young birds are duller versions of the adult. This sparrow breeds across much of temperate Eurasia and Southeast Asia and has been introduced elsewhere, including the United States, where it is known as the Eurasian tree sparrow or German sparrow to differentiate it from the native American tree sparrow. Although several subspecies are recognised, the appearance of this bird varies little across its extensive range.
The untidy nest of the tree sparrow is built in a natural cavity, a hole in a building, or the disused nest of a European magpie or white stork. The typical clutch is five or six eggs, which hatch in under two weeks. This sparrow mainly feeds on seeds, but also consumes invertebrates, particularly during the breeding season. As with other small birds, infection by parasites and diseases, as well as predation by birds of prey, take their toll, and the typical lifespan is about two years.
The tree sparrow is widespread in the towns and cities of eastern Asia, but in Europe, it inhabits lightly wooded open countryside, while the house sparrow breeds in more urban areas. The tree sparrow's extensive range and large population mean it is not globally endangered, although there have been significant population declines in Western Europe, partly due to changes in farming practices involving increased use of herbicides and the loss of winter stubble fields. In eastern Asia and western Australia, this species is sometimes considered a pest, though it is also widely celebrated in oriental art.
The tree sparrow is 12.5–14 cm (5–5+1⁄2 in) long, with a wingspan of about 21 cm (8.3 in) and a weight of 24 g (0.85 oz), making it roughly 10% smaller than the house sparrow. The adult's crown and nape are rich chestnut, and there is a kidney-shaped black ear patch on each pure white cheek; the chin, throat, and the area between the bill and throat are black. The upperparts are light brown, streaked with black, and the brown wings have two distinct narrow white bars. The legs are pale brown, and the bill is lead-blue in summer, becoming almost black in winter.
This sparrow is distinctive within its genus because there are no plumage differences between the sexes. Juveniles also resemble adults, although their colours tend to be duller. Its contrasting face pattern makes this species easily identifiable in all plumages; the smaller size and brown, not grey, crown are additional differences from the male house sparrow. Both adult and juvenile tree sparrows undergo a slow, complete moult in autumn and experience an increase in body mass, despite a reduction in stored fat. This change in mass is due to an increase in blood volume to support active feather growth, as well as a higher overall body water content.
The tree sparrow does not have a true song, but its vocalisations include an excited series of tschip calls made by unpaired or courting males. Other monosyllabic chirps are used for social interaction, and the flight call is a harsh teck. A study comparing the vocalisations of the introduced Missouri population with those of birds from Germany showed that the US birds had fewer shared syllable types (memes) and more structure within the population than the European sparrows. This may be due to the small size of the original North American population, resulting in a loss of genetic diversity.
The Old World sparrow genus Passer is a group of small passerine birds that is believed to have originated in Africa, and which contains 15–25 species depending on the authority. Its members are typically found in open, lightly wooded, habitats, although several species, notably the house sparrow (P. domesticus) have adapted to human habitations. Most species in the genus are typically 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in) long, predominantly brown or greyish birds with short square tails and stubby conical beaks. They are primarily ground-feeding seed-eaters, although they also consume invertebrates, especially when breeding. The Eurasian species is not closely related to the American tree sparrow (Spizelloides arborea), which is in a different family, the New World sparrows.
The tree sparrow's binomial name is derived from two Latin words: passer, "sparrow", and montanus, "of the mountains" (from mons "mountain"). The tree sparrow was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 Systema Naturae as Fringilla montana, but, along with the house sparrow, it was soon moved from the finches (family Fringillidae) into the new genus Passer created by French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The tree sparrow's common name is given because it prefers tree holes for nesting. This name, and the scientific name montanus, do not appropriately describe this species's habitat preferences: the German name Feldsperling and the Hungarian name mezei veréb ("field sparrow") comes closer to doing so.