Sparrow

Categories: Passeridae | Passeriformes | Birds

For other uses, see Sparrow (disambiguation).
Old World sparrows
Image:HouseSparrow23.jpg
House Sparrow
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Passeridae
Genera

Passer
Petronia
Carpospiza
Montifringilla

This article is about the Old World sparrows in the family Passeridae. The closely related finches of the equatorial regions and Australasia are often also classed as members of the Passeridae: for these see estrildid finch.

American sparrows are not closely related; they are in the family Emberizidae along with the buntings.

The Hedge Sparrow or Dunnock (Prunella modularis) is a sparrow in name only, a relic of the medieval practice by which any small bird was called "sparrow".

Sparrows are small passerine birds. There are 35 species in the Old World sparrow family Passeridae. The differences between species can be subtle; in general, sparrows tend to be small plump brownish or greyish birds with short tails and stubby powerful beaks.

Sparrows are primarily seed-eaters, though they also consume small insects. A few species scavenge for food around cities, and like seagulls will happily eat virtually anything in small quantities.

Old World sparrows are found indigenously in Europe, Africa and Asia. In Australia or the Americas, early settlers imported some species which quickly naturalised, particularly in urban and degraded areas. House Sparrows, for example, are now found throughout North America, in every state of Australia except for Western Australia, and over much of heavily populated parts of South America.

There are four genera of Old World sparrows.

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Species list

he:דרור (ציפור) kw:Golvan lv:Zvirbulis lt:Žvirbliniai nl:Passeridae pt:Pardal ru:Воробей