Sparrows
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Passeridae
Sparrows tend to be small, plump, brownish or greyish birds with short tails and short, powerful beaks. They are seed-eaters and they also consume small insects. There are about 38 species worldwide, 4 in Britain.
| Common name | Binomial | Status |
|---|---|---|
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | A resident breeding species |
| Spanish Sparrow | Passer hispaniolensis | A rare vagrant |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus | A resident breeding species |
| Rock Sparrow | Petronia petronia | A rare vagrant |
Read more about this topic: List Of Birds Of Great Britain
Famous quotes containing the word sparrows:
“The wild beasts, sparrows pecking the llamas’ grain,
Pigeons settling on the bears’ bread, buzzards
Tearing the meat the flies have clouded. . . .”
—Randall Jarrell (1914–1965)
“It seemed as if the breezes brought him,
It seemed as if the sparrows taught him,
As if by secret sign he knew
Where in far fields the orchids grew.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“And now the sparrows warring in the eaves,
The curd-pale moon, the white stars in the sky,
And the loud chaunting of the unquiet leaves,
Are shaken with earth’s old and weary cry.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)