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Species authority page

House sparrow

Passer domesticus · Unprotected and nuisance birds

House sparrow (Passer domesticus): 13-17 cm. Male: black bib, white cheeks, gray crown and chestnut nape. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and dateOpen the house sparrow map

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Female house sparrow at a bird feeder
Photo by Shayna Take on Unsplash
Scientific name
Passer domesticus
Family
Passeridae
In North America
Introduced
Range
Native to the Old World; introduced and established from the north coast of British Columbia and southern Yukon to Newfoundland and south beyond North America.
Biology

How to identify it

13-17 cm. [1][2]

Male: black bib, white cheeks, gray crown and chestnut nape. [1][2]

Female: pale buff eyebrow, plain gray chest, black and buff stripes on a brown back. [1][2]

Field knowledge

Where it lives

Cities, towns and farms; in North America essentially always around manmade structures, never in unaltered natural habitats. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Forages mostly hopping on the ground; will perch on weed stalks for seeds and search car fronts and bark for insects [1][2]

Mostly weed and grass seeds and waste grain, also insects in summer and human food scraps in cities [1][2]

Shrill, monotonous, noisy chirping; permanent resident [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for removal or nuisance take

These authorities list this species as nuisance, invasive or unprotected wildlife that may be taken. This is not a game season.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Native to the Old World; introduced and established from the north coast of British Columbia and southern Yukon to Newfoundland and south beyond North America.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30

    National Audubon Society

  2. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe