<P> The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world . A small bird, it has a typical length of 16 cm (6.3 in) and a mass of 24--39.5 g (0.85--1.39 oz). Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings . One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the house sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and much of Asia . Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird . </P> <P> The house sparrow is strongly associated with human habitation, and can live in urban or rural settings . Though found in widely varied habitats and climates, it typically avoids extensive woodlands, grasslands, and deserts away from human development . It feeds mostly on the seeds of grains and weeds, but it is an opportunistic eater and commonly eats insects and many other foods . Its predators include domestic cats, hawks, owls, and many other predatory birds and mammals . </P> <P> Because of its numbers, ubiquity, and association with human settlements, the house sparrow is culturally prominent . It is extensively, and usually unsuccessfully, persecuted as an agricultural pest . It has also often been kept as a pet, as well as being a food item and a symbol of lust, sexual potency, commonness, and vulgarity . Though it is widespread and abundant, its numbers have declined in some areas . The animal's conservation status is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List . </P> <P> The house sparrow is typically about 16 cm (6.3 in) long, ranging from 14 to 18 cm (5.5 to 7.1 in). It is a compact bird with a full chest and a large, rounded head . Its bill is stout and conical with a culmen length of 1.1--1.5 cm (0.43--0.59 in), strongly built as an adaptation for eating seeds . Its tail is short, at 5.2--6.5 cm (2.0--2.6 in) long . The wing chord is 6.7--8.9 cm (2.6--3.5 in), and the tarsus is 1.6--2.5 cm (0.63--0.98 in). In mass, the house sparrow ranges from 24 to 39.5 g (0.85 to 1.39 oz). Females usually are slightly smaller than males . The median mass on the European continent for both sexes is about 30 g (1.1 oz), and in more southerly subspecies is around 26 g (0.92 oz). Younger birds are smaller, males are larger during the winter, and females are larger during the breeding season . Birds at higher latitudes, colder climates, and sometimes higher altitudes are larger (under Bergmann's rule), both between and within subspecies . </P>

The house sparrow - a bird in danger