Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus

The Tree Sparrow is a resident in Wiltshire and can be seen year round.

Habitat

They can be seen feeding on seeds and insects in open farmland with plenty of hedgerows, trees or small woodland patches for cover. It is rarely seen in urban areas and is generally quite shy, but can be seen in larger gardens as well as disused quarries on the edges of wetlands and open water such as gravel pits.

Description

Tree Sparrows are easily distinguishable from the House Sparrow as it is smaller and has a chestnut brown head rather than grey. Males and females are similar in appearance and probably most identifiable by their white cheeks and collar with a black cheek-spot and black bib. Their upperparts are brown with black streaks with a chestnut crown and nape, underparts are off-white and they have a short, black stubby bill.

Biology

Seeds, buds, shoots, berries and flowers make up the majority of the Tree Sparrows diet, but they may also take invertebrates such as spiders and beetles especially when feeding the young who are almost wholly fed on invertebrates in their first week. Breeding starts in April with nests being built in holes with up to seven eggs. Tree Sparrows can have up to three broods per year with the last being raised in August.

Threats

Between 1970 and 1998 the population of the Tree Sparrow underwent a massive decline of 95% and has disappeared from the very south west of the UK has scarce populations elsewhere including Wiltshire. Its decline coincided with the severe decline of other farmland bird species, and like these species, its decline is mainly due to changes in agriculture such as the change from spring to autumn sown crops resulting in the loss of winter stubble fields upon which they relied upon as a winter food source.

Conservation

The Tree Sparrow is a priority species under the UK and Wiltshire Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).