We have a fluffy little character who sits in our garden all day, it sleeps in our shed. When it eats on the ground it turns in circles and jumps up and down a lot too. When all the others birds fly away, it stays until you get really close then hides in a tree nearby. It looks like a young sparrow but isn't it too early? We have about thirty sparrows come to feed but it never flies with them.
what a lovely picture! and sure does sound like quite a character. it looks like an adult female house sparrow to me, all fluffed up against the cold. Could have possibly been a fledgeling from the last brood of the year?
Hello Worm,
Welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy it.
Fantastic photo, and such a fatty. I tend to agree with Peregrine. I think she maybe a young female sparrow, but it is odd she isn't flying with the others as they stick in their colonies normally, and the jumping up and down bit sounds interesting!
Cheers, Linda.
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Hi worm and welcome to the RSPB Forum. Enjoy a lot!
I am in agreement with Peregrine and Sparrow that it is a Female House Sparrow.
Wonder what the story is about the chick. I know that adult House Sparrows are notorious for neglecting their chicks, I think your fledgling has been left high and dry.
You need to play mummy, and daddy now, and let us know how the little cutie does.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
I'd say adult female house sparrow. Her puffed-up appearance, and the fact you can approach her much more closely than the others, suggests she's not very well (she looks a bit ill in the photo in fact). Hopefully her condition will improve soon.
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If Aiki is right, you must try to look for signs of trichomoniasis. This could be one or more of the following:
fluffed up
lethargic
unable to fly
still trying to feed and drink
laboured breathing
difficulty swallowing
wetness around the head
very tame
pleading for help
seed stuck around the beak
This disease attacks mainly greenfinches, but also sparrows and other birds. It is a nasty killer, and highly infectious. If in retrospect you suspect this, you MUST report it immediately to the RSPB and you MUST take all precautions to isolate the poor bird, stop feeding the others until you have thoroughly cleaned and disinfected all feeders, water recepticles, and all areas the bird has been.
I do hope it isn't this disease, but lease do all you can to check etc.
Hi Aiki
The only thing I find odd about the photo is her eyes
They look adnormal as if they are glazed over with something - so it is adnormal looking.
House sparrows have rusty brown eyes
Hope that is is not this awful disease and the bird is suffering a lot
Susan H said: If Aiki is right, you must try to look for signs of trichomoniasis. This could be one or more of the following: fluffed up lethargic unable to fly still trying to feed and drink laboured breathing difficulty swallowing wetness around the head very tame pleading for help seed stuck around the beak This disease attacks mainly greenfinches, but also sparrows and other birds. It is a nasty killer, and highly infectious. If in retrospect you suspect this, you MUST report it immediately to the RSPB and you MUST take all precautions to isolate the poor bird, stop feeding the others until you have thoroughly cleaned and disinfected all feeders, water recepticles, and all areas the bird has been. I do hope it isn't this disease, but lease do all you can to check etc.
I'd agree that she's a young bird, and also that the eyes don't look quite right. There are a number of things like Feeder Fresh and Verm-X that you can add to your feeders and water to help boost your birds' health, as well as the usual keeping feeders clean. The sparrow doesn't look like her beak's open and she's having trouble breathing, as finches do when trichomoniasis gets very bad, but even so, I'd keep an eye out for her.
A closed mouth gathers no foot.