Tree Sparrow Passer montanus   [Linnaeus, 1758]

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   Page updated:16-January-2013

Order: Passeriformes Family: Passeridae
BTO Codes: TS, TRESP EURING No: 15980
Number in Britain: 68 thousand territories (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: RED
European: 3 Concern, most not in Europe; Declining
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder, Passage Visitor
Subspecies: montanus recorded in Britain (of 9 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 14 cm Wingspan: 21 cm Weight: M/F: 24 g    
Scientific name from: L.: passer=a sparrow and L.: montanus=mountaineer (from mons=mountain)
World Distribution: Europe, Asia: INTRODUCED: se Australia, c US
Habitat: Open woodland, farmland, towns, near man
Diet: Mostly seeds (from plant and ground), nestlings fed insects

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: BirdTrends   
Regional Trends: England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps    BBS Maps
British Population Size:
    Summer: 68 thousand territories in 2000
    First Record: 1713
    Conservation Status: RED because Recent Breeding Population Decline,
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 RED     1996-2001 RED  
   Races of Concern: montanus RED (Recent Decline)
UK Biodiversity Action Plan (Lead Partner: RSPB)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Arable Farmland
    And found in: Pasture Farmland, Villages
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
    Summer: 16 to 28 million pairs   (Trend in Numbers)
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: Bern(III)
Survey Results: Results from BirdTrack
Results from Garden BirdWatch
Results from the Winter Farmland Bird Survey

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 20 x 14 mm Egg Weight: 2.1 g (of which 7 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 593
Clutch Size: 5 - 6 eggs 5.05 ± 0.92 (2 - 9) N = 3223
Incubation: 12- 13 days 12.80 ± 1.19 (11 - 15) N = 3223   by the: Male + Female
Fledging: 15 - 18days 15.94 ± 1.75 (12.5 - 18) N = 3534 as: Altricial, naked
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: 17 May (23 Apr - 16 Jul)
Number of Broods: 2-3
See trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.433 ± 0.067       
Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: 2 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 10 years 10 months 20 days (set in 1996)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics

Ring Size: A (pulli B)
Wing Length Adult: 69.5 ± 2.0     Range 59.0 - 79.0 mm, (N = 5335)
Juvenile: 66.2 ± 2.0     Range 58.0 - 76.0 mm, (N = 7586)
Male: 70.3 ± 1.7     Range 64.0 - 75.0 mm, (N = 169)
Female: 68.2 ± 1.9     Range 60.0 - 78.0 mm, (N = 267)
Weight Adult: 21.13 ± 1.33 Range 15.00 - 27.50 g , (N =4538)
Juvenile: 19.8 ± 1.6 Range 14.8 - 26.1 . , (N =6998)
Male: 21.12 ± 1.56 Range 17.00 - 25.00 g , (N =149)
Female: 21.40 ± 1.75 Range 16.10 - 27.50 g , (N =195)
Seasonal: Summer 21.32 ± 1.52 (N = 2016)   Autumn 21.25 ± 1.50 (N = 301)   Winter 21.24 ± 1.37 (N = 7613)  
Source: British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names

Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Gaelic: Gealbhonn-nan-craobh Welsh: Golfan y Mynydd
Danish: Skovspurv Dutch: Ringmus
Finnish: Pikkuvarpunen French: Moineau friquet
German: Feldsperling Hungarian: Mezei veréb
Icelandic: Trjáspör Irish: Gealbhan Crainn
Italian: Passera mattugia Norwegian: Pilfink
Polish: Mazurek Portuguese: Pardal-montez
Spanish: Gorrión molinero Swedish: Pilfink

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:
   Summers-Smith, J.D. 1988 The sparrows: a study of the genus Passer Poyser, Calton [598.972 SUM]
   Summers-Smith, J.D. 1995 The tree sparrow Self-published, Guisborough [598.972 SUM]
   Summers-Smith, J.D. 1998 Studies of West Palearctic birds: Tree Sparrow British Birds 91:124-138
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
All About Birds (from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Details from the Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead