Tree Sparrow

• Smaller than a House Sparrow 
• Males and females look the same, juveniles look like slightly faded adults 
• White collar and cheeks with a distinctive dark spot (which is absent in House Sparrows) 
• Small black bib, smaller than on a male House Sparrow  
• Chestnut brown cap, unlike the grey cap on male House Sparrows 
• Streaky brown back and buff underparts 
• Very unlikely to visit an urban garden, but may visit bird feeders in rural locations, especially in winter 

Tree Sparrows are birds of the countryside, but their numbers have declined significantly and they are now absent from large parts of southern England, much of Wales, parts of Northern Ireland and most of Scotland apart from the east and south.

In areas where they’re clinging on, they’re usually associated with farmland. They form small colonies in the breeding season, and then come together into larger flocks in the winter to feed in stubble fields, often mixed in with other species.

In rural towns and villages, they will sometimes visit garden feeders, and even occasionally breed in garden nest boxes. It’s easy to miss one or two Tree Sparrows in amongst a big group of House Sparrows, so remember to look out for their characteristic dark cheek spots!

Tree Sparrows are much more timid around people than House Sparrows, and tend to be less boisterous in general. Like House Sparrows, they’re social birds and prefer to nest and live in groups. They eat seeds from grasses and weeds, as well as cultivated grains like barley and wheat. They also eat small insects, which they feed to their young. Tree Sparrows will sometimes come to garden feeders in rural areas, particularly in winter – you might even see them mixed in with groups of House Sparrows.