House sparrow (passer domesticus)

The male house sparrow looks quite different to the female and some people think it’s a different bird. The male has a streaked brown back, grey crown, black chest bib and white wing bars whilst the female is brown all over. The baby birds beg for food from their parents by quivering their bodies and wings. Sparrows chatter with a loud ‘chissup’ or ‘chee-ip’ which can last a long while!

Sparrows are used to living around humans and live in both the town and the countryside. They like to have a splash in puddles and a dust bath in dry soil. They nest in cracks in walls, as well as hedges and small trees.