House Sparrow

The House Sparrow (Scientific name - Passer domesticus) was first introduced to North America in Brooklyn, New York in 1850 and today is found in most of North America. It is also found in Central America, South America and the West Indies. They are native to Europe and Asia but have been introduced to many parts of the world. It differs from the other 'sparrows' in that it comes from the Eurasian weaver-finch family. They have a fuller chest and more rounded head and shorter tail than most other 'sparrows'.  They are a common bird and are found often in developed and urban areas.

 They have a grey head, white cheeks and a black throat. The black throat patch is much more predominate in breeding males (as in the third photo). Back and wings are striped with buff, black and brown. 

Top photo taken in Whistler, B.C. in October 2013. The other photos were taken on the island of Maui in Hawaii in November 2012.

Female