Tufty

Another visiting Sparrow to my garden

Tree sparrow - Passer montanus

Smaller than a house sparrow and more active, with its tail almost permanently cocked. It has a chestnut brown head and nape (rather than grey), and white cheeks and collar with a contrasting black cheek-spot. They are shyer than house sparrows in the UK and are not associated with man, although in continental Europe they nest in buildings just like house sparrows.

Breeding
The tree sparrow is mainly a bird of open farmland with hedgerows and free-standing trees or small isolated woods. It also inhabits disused quarries, coastal cliffs with ivy, or large gardens, especially where nest boxes are provided.

Wintering
In winter, local flocks may form where food is abundant, especially of agricultural land. In Scotland they favour stubble and weedy turnip fields.

Where to see it
The tree sparrow is scarcer in the uplands, and the far north and west of the UK. The main populations are now found across the Midlands, southern and eastern England. It is almost absent from the south west, Wales and the north west. Best looked for in hedgerows and woodland edges.

What does it eat?
Seeds and insects

What does it sound like?
Call is a distinctive 'chip'

When to see it
All year round