Eurasian Tree Sparrow: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Дмитрий Осипов · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Passer montanus
- Family
- Old World Sparrows
- Size
- About 14 cm
- Habitat
- Farmland, hedges and reed edges
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and Oceania
The key marks
A chestnut cap on both sexes and a black cheek patch on a white cheek. House Sparrow male has a grey crown and no cheek patch.
Voice
A higher, harder 'tsip' and 'tek-tek'.
Good to know
Unlike House Sparrows, the two sexes look alike.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the House Sparrow. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in farmland, hedges and reed edges. It is especially common in China, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.