Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758)
House Sparrow
CLASSIFICATION
Main Group: Animal
Sublevel 1: Vertebrate
Sublevel 2: Bird
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passeridae
Genus: Passer
Species: Passer domesticus
STATUS IN NEW ENGLAND
Origin: Introduced
Invasive, Pest, or Pathogen?: No
Rarity Designations: None
BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY
Feeding Type: Heterotroph
HABITAT
NOTES
House Sparrows are known to aggressively compete with native birds for nesting sites. They may be considered a nuisance when they nest near, on, or inside buildings, where they may damage property, leave droppings, and cause health concerns. House Sparrows may also be pests in agricultural areas where they may consume and contaminate grains and damage crops (Fitzwater, 1994).
PHOTOS OF Passer domesticus
On a building
Essex County, MA
Date: 2012-09-08
Male, in a parking lot
Essex County, MA
Date: 2012-10-13
Female, at a feeder
Essex County, MA
Date: 2018-03-09
Female, at a feeder
Essex County, MA
Date: 2018-03-09
Female, at a railroad stop
Essex County, MA
Date: 2012-11-01
Male, at a railroad stop
Essex County, MA
Date: 2012-11-01
Male, at a railroad stop
Essex County, MA
Date: 2012-11-01
Males, at a railroad stop
Essex County, MA
Date: 2012-11-01
On a railroad track
Essex County, MA
Date: 2012-11-01
Bathing in a puddle near railroad tracks
Essex County, MA
Date: 2012-11-01
Male, under powerlines near a railroad stop
Essex County, MA
Date: 2012-11-01
REFERENCES
Fitzwater, W.D. 1994. Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage - 1994. House Sparrows. Cooperative Extension Division, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Animal Damage Control; Great Plains Agricultural Council Wildlife Committee. Available from:http://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/othercritters/factsheets/sparrow-ICWDM.pdf.