Sparrow is the name of many small, common birds. The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon word spearwa, which probably was a general term for all small birds. Sparrows are found throughout most of the world. About 50 species live in North and South America.

Most American sparrows are plain, brownish birds about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long. Many are noted for their musical songs. Among these are the song sparrow, vesper sparrow, lark sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, white-throated sparrow, fox sparrow, and Lincoln's sparrow.
 

Sparrows have large feet that are well-adapted for scratching for seeds, their chief food. They feed insects to their young. American sparrows build nests on the ground, in clumps of grass, in bushes, or in low trees, but seldom far from the ground. However, the chipping sparrow nests as high as 25 feet (8 meters) above the ground in evergreens. A sparrow's nest is a compact, well-built, open structure made of grasses, plant fibers, and sometimes small twigs. The female lays four or five white eggs marked with reddish-brown. The eggs hatch in 11 to 14 days, and the young leave the nest 8 to 10 days later. Both the male and the female care for the young.

American sparrows live almost everywhere. For example, song sparrows live in bushy areas, fox sparrows in forests, swamp sparrows in marshes, vesper sparrows in prairies, and sage sparrows in deserts. Those sparrows that breed in northern North America may migrate south in winter, some as far as Mexico and Central America. However, even among migrant species, older males often spend the winter near their breeding area.
 

House sparrow
Passer domesticus
 Found throughout the temperate zones of the world
Body length: 5-1/2 to 6-1/2 inches
 (14 to 16 centimeters)

The common house sparrow was brought to America from Europe in 1853. It now lives in most of the populated areas of Canada, the United States, Central America, and western South America.

Scientific Classification. American sparrows belong to the family Emberizidae. The song sparrow is Melospiza melodia; Lincoln's sparrow, M. lincolnii; and the swamp sparrow, M. georgiana. The white-throated sparrow is Zonotrichia albicollis, and the white-crowned sparrow is Z. leucophrys. The chipping sparrow is Spizella passerina; the fox sparrow, Passerella iliaca; the vesper sparrow, Pooecetes gramineus; and the sage sparrow,Amphispiza belli. The house sparrow is Passer domesticus.