The House Sparrow Is Disappearing From Cities
A sparrow is a small brown bird found near people almost everywhere. In several countries its numbers have collapsed.
A sparrow is a small seed-eating bird, and the house sparrow has lived alongside people for thousands of years. That closeness makes its decline striking: house sparrow numbers in British towns fell sharply from the 1970s, and the causes — fewer nest sites, less insect food for chicks, cleaner streets — are still debated.
- A small brown bird. *A sparrow on the sill.*
- Sparrow in comparisons. *Thin as a sparrow.*
- Sparrowhawk — a bird of prey that hunts them. *A sparrowhawk in the garden.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | sparrow | A house sparrow. |
| Plural | sparrows | A flock of sparrows. |
| Compound | sparrowhawk | A hunting sparrowhawk. |
| Related | finch | A chaffinch. |
| Related | passerine | A passerine bird. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Sparrows nest in the eaves.They prefer cavities in buildings.
- House sparrow numbers have fallen sharply.Particularly in cities.
- Up with the sparrows.Meaning awake very early.
Sparrow facts
- House sparrow — the familiar urban bird, native to Eurasia and North Africa
- Introduced worldwide — deliberately taken to the Americas and Australasia
- Chick diet — insects, not seed, which matters for survival
- Colonial nesters — they like company
- Dust bathing — a characteristic behaviour
From Old English *spearwa*, a small bird. The word is ancient and appears across the Germanic languages with little change.
Why are house sparrows declining?
Likely causes include loss of nesting cavities in modern buildings, fewer insects for chicks, and changes in urban gardens. No single cause is agreed.
Is a hedge sparrow a sparrow?
No. The hedge sparrow, or dunnock, belongs to a different family and only resembles one superficially.