Also see Photos of other brown birds that look like HOSP, HOSP egg photos, more HOSP nest photos, HOSP management, attacks, history, numbers, behavior, nest and egg ID, HOSP euthanasia and more photos of HOSP nests in boxes, photo of HOSP in flight. All photos on this page by E.A. Zimmerman.
![]() To compare to other similar birds, see Other Brown Birds The breast of both the female and male is dingy, but NOT striped (although it looks a little striped in the photo of the female below. Back has black streaks. |
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![]() Juveniles look like females but are browner above and more buff-colored below, with pinkish bills, legs and feet. |
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Cap is gray (see below), not chestnut like a Chipping Sparrow. Coloring on individual birds varies. Also notice strong finch beak. |
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Photo of underbelly of male HOSP taken in May. Legs are pinkish/yellow. |
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Photo above of male House Sparrow by Dave Kinneer. | ||
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H They build a tall nest, which usually has a tunnel-like entrance, especially when built outside of a nestbox. Photo of HOSP nesting in sign by Donna. See more HOSP nest photos. Also see photos of HOSP nests in commercial establishments. Eggs are cream, white, gray or greenish, with irregular brown speckles. See more HOSP egg photos. |
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IMPORTANT: SOME NATIVE BIRDS also lay speckled eggs. CHECK FIRST before removing nests! See EGG ID Matrix | ||
![]() Note seed head, feathers, hair and cellophane in nest cup. Nest construction and reconstruction is rapid, so removal of nests tends to be an ineffective control method. Be aware that some other cavity nesters build messy nests (e.g., Great crested flycatcher), and a few also have brown speckled eggs. |
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See House Sparrow Management for information on passive and active HOSP control methods. It IS possible, by consistently using a combination of passive and active control methods over time, to almost eliminate House Sparrows from your neighborhood, or at least to ensure that they are not a serious threat to native cavity nesting birds. |
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![]() House Sparrows are aggressive, and will attack and destroy bluebird eggs, nestlings and adults. It is better to have no nestbox at all than to allow House Sparrows to reproduce in one. |
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More information about HOSP on this website (sialis.org):
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– Trudy Pischer (Bluebird_Listserv), 2005