Approved field-guide plates
Eurasian Tree Sparrow identification views
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Old World Sparrows
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus
Ağaç Serçesi
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (*Passer montanus*) is a 12–14 cm village sparrow with a chestnut crown and a black spot on the white cheek. Sexes alike. Separated from House Sparrow by lacking grey crown/broad bib and by the cheek spot. Widespread resident in Turkey; IUCN Least Concern (LC).
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Conservation status
- LC Least Concern
First look in the field
Quick identification
- Chestnut crown
Adults have an entirely chestnut-brown crown.
- Black cheek spot
Look for the black spot on each white cheek and the small black bib.
- Similar sexes
Males and females share much the same basic plumage.
Biometrics
Length
- Male
- 14 cm
- Female
- 14 cm
Wingspan
- Male
- 20–22 cm
- Female
- 20–22 cm
Weight
- Male
- 21.3 g
- Female
- 21.7 g
Detailed explanations of these measurements are available on our website, on the same species page.
World distribution
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
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Observation Sites
Bird Atlas recordsLoading observations…
Monthly record intensity
12 monthsRecord intensity is affected by observation effort.
Rotate the globe and compare the supported layers. Colours show broad range areas, not exact sightings or nests.
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Generalised data and method
Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
Bibliography ↗Authentic bird sound and ethical use
Voice and listening
Calls are higher and shorter than House Sparrow. Birds feed in flocks, nest in cavities and both parents care for young.
Spoken guide
Narration has not been recorded; no audio file has been created.
Observe without approaching the nest
Breeding
Open farmland mosaics with hedges, trees, orchards, wet edges and rural buildings are preferred over closed forest.
Scientific species guide
Detailed account
Quick Identification
Eurasian Tree Sparrow is a small compact sparrow with a complete chestnut crown, a black spot in each white cheek, a small black bib and a pale nape collar. Both sexes share this pattern. Warm streaked back, two pale wingbars and sharp flight call support identification.
General Appearance and Posture
It has a rounded head, thick conical bill, short neck and medium-short tail. It hops on the ground and perches in hedges, trees, wires and cavities.
Male, Female and Juvenile
Adults cannot be safely sexed by ordinary field view. Validated studies combine standard measurements. Juvenile is duller with a weaker cheek spot and yellowish gape.
In Flight
Flight is quick and undulating. Above, crown, streaked back and wingbars matter; below, body is pale and wings darker. Surfaces are not merged.
Voice and Behaviour
Calls are higher and shorter than House Sparrow. Birds feed in flocks, nest in cavities and both parents care for young.
Similar Species
Male House Sparrow has a grey crown and no isolated cheek spot; female House Sparrow is plain brown. Use several marks together.
World Range
The species spans Eurasia from western Europe through Türkiye and Central Asia to eastern and Southeast Asia. A limited North American population is introduced.
Status in Türkiye
It is a resident breeder with uneven abundance in wooded farmland, orchards, villages and settlement edges. Nesting requires direct evidence.
Migration Journey
Many populations are resident, while some northern birds move south or downslope. Local flocks follow snow and seed; origin and distance are not invented. Repeated records at one Turkish site may support local residence but do not prove that every winter bird was born there. Ringing or tracking evidence is needed before assigning an individual to a distant source population or drawing a country-by-country route.
Breeding Area
Open farmland mosaics with hedges, trees, orchards, wet edges and rural buildings are preferred over closed forest.
Nest Site
The nest fills a tree hole, building gap, pole or box with grass and feathers. BTO reports 5–6 eggs, both-sex incubation for 12–13 days and 15–17.5 days to fledging.
Daily Use
Flocks commute among roosts, seed patches, insect-rich edges and water. Breeding adults repeatedly travel between a cavity and nearby invertebrate habitat, while winter flocks may concentrate in stubble and weedy margins. Never open an active box, insert a camera or block the entrance. If adults alarm, carry food without entering, or remain watching the observer, increase distance immediately.
Food
Adults eat weed, grass and cereal seeds, with fruit and suitable scraps. Invertebrates are important for young.
Foraging
Birds hop on the ground, strip seedheads and glean arthropods. Food proportions vary by season and site.
Observation Limit
Seed eating alone does not identify the species. Record head pattern, size, voice and flock associates. A bird using a feeder is not automatically resident at that exact site, and one food item does not describe the whole diet. Keep feeders clean, remove mouldy food, and never place food beside a nest where it can attract predators or change parental travel. Do not collect droppings or nest material without a permitted scientific protocol.
Same Cap on Both Sexes
Both adult sexes have the chestnut crown and black cheek spot; field images do not safely determine sex.
Compact Face Map
Crown, cheek, spot, bib and collar form a multi-part identification package.
Cavity Neighbourhoods
Pairs may nest in loose colonies in holes, buildings or boxes where seed and insects remain available.
Variable Reproduction
BTO gives 5–6 eggs, 12–13 days incubation and 15–17.5 days to fledging; local results vary.
Two Agricultural Seasons
Winter seed and breeding-season insects are both important.
Introduced Far Away
The North American population descends from introduced birds; occurrence is not always a natural route.
Conservation and Ethics
Least Concern globally can coexist with regional declines. Preserve hedges, insects and cavities; never disturb active nests.
Species text and plates come from existing atlas records. Measurements were checked against reliable species sources.
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