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House Sparrow

Passer domesticus · Old World Sparrows

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
(c) Ximo Galarza, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA) · CC BY-NC-SA · via iNaturalist

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is in the Old World Sparrows family (Passeridae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 220,310 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in April.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph House Sparrow: observations by month (U.S.)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

About House Sparrow

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. A small bird, it has a typical length of 16 cm (6.3 in) and a mass of 24–39.5 g (0.85–1.39 oz). Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the house sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin,...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

House Sparrow by state

StateObservationsPeak monthMain season
California28,193AprilJan–Jul
Texas27,631AprilJan–Jun
New York17,369AprilMar–Oct
Illinois14,550AprilJan–Nov
Massachusetts10,970AprilFeb–Oct
Pennsylvania10,659AprilMar–Feb
Virginia7,243AprilMar–Feb
Florida6,482AprilMar–Feb
Ohio6,393MayApr–Mar
Iowa6,383JulyJul–Jul
Maryland6,319AprilJan–Nov
New Jersey5,235MayFeb–Dec
Arizona4,790AprilDec–Jun
Wisconsin4,148MayFeb–Dec
Hawaii4,110AugustJul–Jun
Minnesota3,834MayApr–Mar
Oregon3,500MayDec–Oct
District of Columbia3,454AprilMar–Feb
Michigan3,384AprilDec–Oct
Washington3,217MayMar–Sep
Indiana2,849AprilMar–Jul
Tennessee2,733AprilFeb–Aug
Connecticut2,723FebruaryJan–Aug
North Carolina2,564AprilJan–Nov
Colorado2,539JuneDec–Oct
Utah2,434AprilMar–Jul
New Mexico2,310AprilMar–Jun
Missouri2,247MayMar–Nov
Louisiana2,027AprilJan–Jun
Oklahoma1,830AprilFeb–Jul
Kansas1,526AprilJan–Jul
Alabama1,519AprilFeb–May
Nebraska1,439MayApr–Jun
Georgia1,296AprilJan–Jul
Kentucky1,247AprilFeb–Sep
Arkansas1,213AprilJan–Jul
Nevada1,156MarchOct–Aug
Idaho1,077AprilOct–Aug
Vermont1,075AprilJan–Jun
South Carolina996MayFeb–Dec
Maine980JuneMar–Oct
Rhode Island823MayApr–Oct
New Hampshire669JuneMar–Oct
West Virginia660AprilFeb–Oct
Delaware548MayApr–Oct
Montana520MayFeb–Oct
Mississippi500MayFeb–Jul
South Dakota384JuneMar–Aug
Wyoming347JulyApr–Aug
North Dakota212JuneApr–Jun

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Photography tips

  • Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
  • Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
  • Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
  • Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph House Sparrow?
Nationally, April has the most observations, with the main season from March to February.
Where is House Sparrow most often seen?
The most observations come from California, Texas, New York.