Passer montanus

Interesting facts: Contrary to the house sparrow, the tree sparrow is a rather shy bird. It is commonly found in open landscapes with bordering woods or copses. In East Asia, however, where there is no house sparrow, it is a town bird. Tree sparrows display distinctive social behaviour. When not in the breeding season, they live mostly in swarms, which can be made up of several thousand birds. They pair for life for breeding.

Characteristics: Red-brown head cap, dark mask, white on the side of the neck with a black patch; plumage: brown-grey with speckled back; straight, thick, black beak, hops mechanically on the ground

Body length: Less than 20 cm (sparrow length)