Old World sparrows are a group of smallpasserinebirds forming thefamilyPasseridae. They are also known astrue sparrows, a name also used for a particulargenus of the family,Passer.[1] They are distinct from both theNew World sparrows, in the familyPasserellidae, and from a few other birds sharing their name, such as theJava sparrow of the familyEstrildidae. Many species nest on buildings and thehouse andEurasian tree sparrows, in particular, inhabit cities in large numbers. They are primarilyseed-eaters, though they also consume smallinsects. Some species scavenge for food around cities and, likepigeons orgulls, will eat small quantities of a diversity of items.
Generally, Old World sparrows are small, plump, brown and grey birds with short tails and stubby, powerfulbeaks. The differences between sparrow species can be subtle. Members of this family range in size from thechestnut sparrow (Passer eminibey), at 11.4 centimetres (4.5 in) and 13.4 grams (0.47 oz), to theparrot-billed sparrow (Passer gongonensis), at 18 centimetres (7.1 in) and 42 grams (1.5 oz). Sparrows are physically similar to other seed-eating birds, such asfinches, but have a vestigial dorsal outerprimary wing feather and an extra bone in the tongue.[2][3] This bone, the preglossale, helps stiffen the tongue when holding seeds. Other adaptations for eating seeds are specialised bills and elongated and specialisedalimentary canals.[4]
The family Passeridae was introduced (as Passernia) by the FrenchpolymathConstantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815.[5][6] Under the classification used in theHandbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) main groupings of the sparrows are the true sparrows (genusPasser), thesnowfinches (typically one genus,Montifringilla), and the rock sparrows (Petronia and thepale rockfinch). These groups are similar to each other, and are each fairly homogeneous, especiallyPasser.[4] Some classifications also include the sparrow-weavers (Plocepasser) and several other African genera (otherwise classified among theweavers, Ploceidae)[4] which are morphologically similar toPasser.[7] According to a study of molecular and skeletal evidence byJon Fjeldså and colleagues, thecinnamon ibon of the Philippines, previously considered to be awhite-eye, is a sister taxon to the sparrows as defined by theHBW. They therefore classify it as its own subfamily within Passeridae.[7]
Many early classifications of the Old World sparrows placed them as close relatives of the weavers among the various families of small seed-eating birds, based on the similarity of their breeding behaviour, bill structure, and moult, among other characters. Some, starting with P. P. Suskin in the 1920s, placed the sparrows in the weaver family as the subfamily Passerinae, and tied them toPlocepasser. Another family sparrows were classed with was thefinches (Fringillidae).[4]
Some authorities previously classified the relatedestrildid finches of the Old Worldtropics andAustralasia as members of the Passeridae. Like sparrows, the estrildid finches are small, gregarious and often colonial seed-eaters with short, thick, but pointed bills. They are broadly similar in structure and habits, but tend to be very colourful and vary greatly in theirplumage. The 2008 Christidis and Bolestaxonomic scheme lists the estrildid finches as the separate family Estrildidae, leaving just the true sparrows[clarification needed] in Passeridae.[8]
Despite some resemblance such as the seed-eater's bill and frequently well-marked heads,New World sparrows are members of a different family,Passerellidae, with 29 genera recognised.[9] Several species in this family are notable singers. New World sparrows are related to Old World buntings, and until 2017, were included in the Old World bunting familyEmberizidae.[10][11][4] Thehedge sparrow or dunnock (Prunella modularis) is similarly unrelated. It is a sparrow in name only, arelict of the old practice of calling more types of small birds "sparrows".[12] A few further bird species are also called sparrows, such as theJava sparrow, an estrildid finch.
The Old World sparrows are indigenous to Europe, Africa and Asia. In theAmericas, Australia, and other parts of the world, settlers imported some species which quickly naturalised, particularly in urban and degraded areas. House sparrows, for example, are now found throughout North America, Australia (every state exceptWestern Australia), parts of southern and eastern Africa, and over much of the heavily populated parts of South America.[4]
The Old World sparrows are generally birds of open habitats, includinggrasslands,deserts, andscrubland. The snowfinches and ground-sparrows are all species of high latitudes. A few species, like the Eurasian tree sparrow, inhabit openwoodland.[4] The aberrantcinnamon ibon has the most unusual habitat of the family, inhabiting the canopy ofcloud forest in the Philippines.[7]
Old World sparrows are generally social birds, with many species breeding in loose colonies and most species occurring in flocks during the non-breeding season. Thegreat sparrow is an exception, breeding in solitary pairs and remaining only in small family groups in the non-breeding season. They form large roosting aggregations in the non-breeding seasons that contain only a single species (in contrast to multi-species flocks that might gather for foraging). Sites are chosen for cover and include trees, thick bushes and reed beds. The assemblages can be quite large with up to 10,000 house sparrows counted in one roost in Egypt.[4]
The Old World sparrows are some of the few passerine birds that engage indust bathing. They will first scratch a hole in the ground with their feet, then lie in it and fling dirt or sand over their bodies with flicks of their wings. They will also bathe in water, or in dry or melting snow. Water bathing is similar to dust bathing, with the sparrow standing in shallow water and flicking water over its back with its wings, also ducking its head under the water. Both activities are social, with up to a hundred birds participating at once, and is followed by preening and sometimes group singing.[4]
The house sparrow typically lays 3-6 eggs, but has been known to lay as few as 1 and as many as 8 greenish-white eggs. The incubation period is typically 10–14 days.[15]
Old World sparrows may be the most familiar of all wild birds worldwide.[16] Many species commonly live in agricultural areas, and for several, human settlements are a primary habitat. The Eurasian tree and house sparrows are particularly specialised in living around humans and inhabit cities in large numbers. 17 of the 26 species recognised by theHandbook of the Birds of the World are known to nest on and feed around buildings.[4]
Grain-eating species, in particular the house and Sudan golden sparrows, can be significant agriculturalpests. They can be beneficial to humans as well, especially by eating insect pests. Attempts at large-scale control have failed to affect populations significantly, or have been accompanied by major increases in insect attacks probably resulting from a reduction of numbers, as in theGreat Sparrow Campaign in 1950s China.[4]
Because of their familiarity, the house sparrow and other species of the family are frequently used to represent the common and vulgar, or the lewd.[17] Birds usually described later as Old World sparrows are referred to in many works of ancient literature and religious texts in Europe and western Asia. These references may not always refer specifically to Old World sparrows, or even to small, seed-eating birds, but later writers who were inspired by these texts often had the house sparrow and other members of the family in mind. In particular, Old World sparrows were associated by the ancient Greeks withAphrodite, the goddess of love, due to their perceived lustfulness, an association echoed by later writers such asChaucer andShakespeare.[4][17][18]
Sparrows are represented in ancient Egyptian art very rarely, but anEgyptian hieroglyph
is based on the house sparrow. The symbol had no phonetic value and was used as a determinative in words to indicatesmall,narrow, orbad.[21]
Old World sparrows have been kept as pets at many times in history, even though most are not particularly colourful and their songs are unremarkable.[citation needed] They are also difficult to keep, as pet sparrows must be raised by hand and a considerable amount of insects are required to feed them. Nevertheless, many people succeed at hand-raising orphaned or abandoned baby sparrows.[22]
The earliest mentions of pet sparrows are from the Romans. Not all thepasseri mentioned, often as pets, in Roman literature were necessarily sparrows, but some accounts of them clearly describe their appearance and habits.[23] The petpasser ofLesbia inCatullus's poems may not have been a sparrow, but athrush orEuropean goldfinch.John Skelton'sThe Boke of Phyllyp Sparowe is a lament for a pet house sparrow belonging to a Jane Scrope, narrated by Scrope.[4][17][23][24]
^Clement, Peter; Harris, Alan; Davis, John (1993).Finches and Sparrows: an Identification Guide. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.ISBN978-0-691-03424-9.
^Bock, Walter J. (1994).History and Nomenclature of Avian Family-Group Names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Vol. 222. New York: American Museum of Natural History. pp. 157, 252.hdl:2246/830.
^Ferber, Michael (2007)."Sparrow".A Dictionary of Literary Symbols. Cambridge University Press. Archived fromthe original on 2013-07-24. Retrieved2017-11-01.
Christidis, L.; Boles, W. E. (2008).Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Canberra: CSIRO Publishing.ISBN978-0-643-06511-6.
Houlihan, Patrick E.; Goodman, Steven M. (1986).The Natural History of Egypt, Volume I: The Birds of Ancient Egypt. Warminster: Aris & Philips.ISBN978-0-85668-283-4.
Summers-Smith, J. Denis (1963).The House Sparrow. New Naturalist (1st. ed.). London: Collins.
Summers-Smith, J. Denis (1988).The Sparrows. illustrated by Robert Gillmor. Calton, Staffs, England: T. & A. D. Poyser.ISBN978-0-85661-048-6.
Summers-Smith, J. Denis (2005).On Sparrows and Man: A Love-Hate Relationship. Guisborough (Cleveland).ISBN978-0-9525383-2-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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