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  • Tree sparrow

Tree sparrow

Tree sparrow
Tree sparrow
  • Scientific name: Passer montanus
  • Bird family: Old World sparrows
  • UK conservation status: Red
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Tree sparrow call

Your browser does not support this audio feature.

Jarek Matusiak, Xeno-canto

Key information

Smaller than a house sparrow and more active, with its tail often cocked. It has a chestnut brown head and nape (rather than grey) and white cheeks and collar with a contrasting black cheek spot. They are shyer than house sparrows in the UK and are rarely associated with people, although in continental Europe they often nest in buildings just like house sparrows.

The UK tree sparrow population has suffered a severe decline, estimated at 93 per cent between 1970 and 2008. However, recent Breeding Bird Survey data is encouraging, suggesting that numbers may have started to increase, albeit from a very low point.

What they eat:

Seeds and insects

Measurements:

Length:
14cm
Wingspan:
20-22cm
Weight:
19-25g

Population:

UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.
UK breeding:
200,000 territories

Identifying features:

Tree sparrow

Tree sparrow
Feather colour: Black Brown Cream/buff Grey White
Leg colour: Brown Pink
Beak: Black Brown Short Chunky
Natural habitats: Woodland Farmland Urban and suburban

Similar birds:

House sparrow adult male
House sparrow

Where and when to see them

The tree sparrow is scarcer in the uplands, and the far north and west of the UK. The main populations are now found across the Midlands, southern and eastern England. It is almost absent from the south west, Wales and the north west. Best looked for in hedgerows and woodland edges.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
Tree sparrow distribution map

Tree sparrows can be seen all year round.

  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
  • nov
  • dec

RSPB reserves

  • RSPB Beckingham Marshes
  • RSPB Portmore Lough
  • RSPB Ouse Washes
  • RSPB Loch of Strathbeg
  • RSPB Fairburn Ings
  • RSPB Bempton Cliffs

Video

Footage of a tree sparrow.

Footage of a tree sparrow.

Tree sparrow video screenshot

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