Just thought i'd write a quick blog to say that we have had a number of reports of Spanish sparrows turning up around the UK after the news of a genuine adult male turned up in Hampshire. This has made the news in various places see here, here, here and here.
However this little chap got here, most think that he arrived by boat, he has caused quite a stir. However, given the scarcity of such an occurence it is unlikely that he has brought his chums with him and so far the other reports from around the country have all turned out to be house sparrows.
Lets hope all the excitement over this rare sparrow visitor does not take too much attention away from helping our own neighbourhood 'spadgers'. Now is a great time to put up nesting boxes, plant some shrubs and plan which bit of lawn you will cut and which you will leave long, the variety will help them optimise their foraging for insect food for their young. For more tips on how to garden with wildlife in mind check out the Homes for Wildlife pages.
Heres a picture of a male sparrow, can you tell if it is a house or Spanish?
Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
Yep, the above picture is Passer domesticus the house sparrow! There are a number of features that do seperate the two species. The Spanish sparrow male has a much bolder black pattern of chevrons down it's chest and flanks in the summer which is still partially visible during winter but much more subtle. The house sparrow also has a grey crown stripe and grey cheeks whilst the Spanish counterpart has a reddish brown crown and cleaner white cheeks.
Looks the same as an English Sparrow to me. What is the difference?
It was amazing how many twitchers turned up to see the Spanish Sparrow. One guy said he was prepared to charter planes and spend any amount of money to see a new bird for his list.
I would say your photo is a Passer domesticus. The grey crown is the giveaway.