Overview

The house sparrow is the bird most closely tied to human habitation. Chunky, chirpy, and boldly opportunistic, it thrives wherever people build — nesting in eaves, raiding café crumbs, and squabbling in hedgerows with a familiarity that makes it easy to overlook.

That very ordinariness is what makes it a perfect Catch'Um common: you don't need a rainforest expedition to find one. A garden feeder, a supermarket car park, or a city tree line will do — and once you start looking, house sparrows are everywhere.

Habitat

House sparrows live on every continent except Antarctica, favouring gardens, cities, farmland, and scrub near buildings. They nest in cavities, roof spaces, and nest boxes, feeding on seeds, insects, and discarded human food in parks and neighbourhoods worldwide.

Countries found

Interesting facts

01
House sparrows live on every continent except Antarctica.
02
Males have a black bib and grey cap; females are streakier brown all over.
03
They dust-bathe to keep their feathers clean and free of parasites.
04
Sparrows can swim if they fall into water — they dog-paddle to the edge.
05
A single nest may hold four to five eggs, with up to four broods per year.
06
Urban sparrow numbers have declined in parts of Europe — but they remain common globally.

Conservation status

LC — Least Concern

The house sparrow is classed as Least Concern globally, though populations have fallen sharply in some European cities since the 1970s — likely due to reduced insect food and nesting sites. It remains abundant across much of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.