How long does it take for a sparrow to leave their nest?

We've been working hard to increase the bird and wildlife population in our little urban garden. When we moved in, the garden was a Barron waste land with just some aggy magpies around. After years of work, we’ve turned our small space into a garden full of flowers, trees, shrubs and productive crop plants for us to eat. With that, we really have increased the wildlife. To the point where this spring we have a wren nesting in a whole where a brick fell out of our house by our back door and now a pair of sparrows nesting on my potting bench! The wren isn’t an issue - we live it be and he’s happily looking for a mate and still comes and goes. But the sparrows on my potting bench is a worry. How long until that space in not needed by them? It’s a fully made nest now and I just popped in to get my rooting powder and startled the wee thing! Help?

  • Hi Rebecca, although I don't get House Sparrows I believe the timings are as follows :

    The female will lay up to around 8 eggs which are incubated for 11–13 days. The nestlings fledge approx. 14–17 days after hatching. House Sparrows can often have 2–4 broods per year and will sometimes use the same nests or build another nest nearby so you may have to wait a while before you have your potting bench back !

    post edit:  x-post with Rob