L 12½-14 cm. Breeds in open woodland, usually near cultivated land or human habitation, locally around houses and in gardens like House Sparrow. Resident. Nests in natural tree-hole, in nestbox or in cavity in building.
IDENTIFICATION: Smaller and neater than House Sparrow, with male of which it is still often confused by the layman. Like that species, has blackstreaked brown back, distinct white wing-bar, black bib, lores and bill, and underparts dusky, but told by: wholly vinaceous red-brown crown; pure white head-side with big black cheek patch; smaller black bib which does not expand into large patch on breast; narrow white neck-collar (broken only on nape). Sexes and ages alike.
VOICE: Rather like House Sparrow’s. Distinctive, however, is a ‘tsuwitt’, slightly nasal and disyllabic, with cheery tone. In flight, often a dry ‘tett-ettett- ett’. Song a fast series of ‘tsvit’ and variants, like House’s chatter but a bit higher-pitched.
Order Song birds/Passeriformes, Family Sparrows/Ploceidae
Eurasian Tree Sparrow/Passer montanus - Male
Photographer: ©
Sergey Panayotov
- http://NatureTravel.eu
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