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Birds of Zihuatanejo

CLASS AVES

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Birds (Class Aves)

-Perching Birds (Order Passeriformes)

-Old World Sparrows (Family Passeridae)

-True Sparrows (Genus Passer)

-House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)


One of the most widespread and abundant songbirds in the world. The house sparrow is strongly associated with human habitation, and can live in urban or rural settings. Eats mostly seeds. In most situations, great majority of diet is weed and grass seeds or waste grain. Also eats some insects, especially in summer. In urban surroundings, also scavenges crumbs of food left by humans.

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

Diet

  • Primarily seeds and grains, including grasses, cereals, and agricultural crops.

  • Also feeds on insects such as beetles, caterpillars, flies, aphids, and grasshoppers, especially during the breeding season when feeding nestlings.

  • Frequently consumes food scraps around human habitation and readily visits bird feeders.

Range

  • Native to Europe, North Africa, and much of Asia, but introduced to most of the world.

  • Now found throughout North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and southern Africa.

  • Widespread throughout Mexico, including the Zihuatanejo region, where it is a common year-round resident in towns and cities.

  • Closely associated with human settlements, inhabiting urban areas, villages, farms, parks, gardens, and agricultural landscapes.

Male / Female

  • Male: Gray crown, chestnut-brown nape, black throat and bib, white cheeks, chestnut-and-black streaked back, gray underparts, and a stout black bill (yellowish outside the breeding season).

  • Female: Plain buffy-brown overall with a pale eyebrow, streaked brown back, and no gray crown or black bib.

  • Juveniles: Resemble adult females.

  • The sexes are easily distinguished by their markedly different plumage.

Size

  • Length: 14–16 cm (5.5–6.3 in)

  • Wingspan: 19–25 cm (7.5–9.8 in)

  • Weight: 24–39 g

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