One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the house sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and a large part of Asia.

Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australasia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird.

Though found in widely varied habitats and climates, it typically avoids extensive woodlands, grasslands, polar regions, and hot, dry deserts far away from human development.

The sexes exhibit strong dimorphism: the female is mostly buffish above and below, while the male has boldly coloured head markings, a reddish back, and grey underparts.

Transcribed as chirrup, tschilp, or philip, this note is made as a contact call by flocking or resting birds; or by males to proclaim nest ownership and invite pairing.

[11] The house sparrow was among the first animals to be given a scientific name in the modern system of biological classification, since it was described by Carl Linnaeus, in the 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

[40] Most Passer species are dull-coloured birds with short, square tails and stubby, conical beaks, between 11 and 18 cm (4.3 and 7.1 in) long.

[79] The first of many successful introductions to North America occurred when birds from England were released in New York City, in 1852,[80][81] intended to control the ravages of the linden moth.

[82] In North America, the house sparrow now occurs from the Northwest Territories of Canada to southern Panama,[5] and it is one of the most abundant birds of the continent.

It now occurs almost continuously from Tierra del Fuego to the fringes of the Amazon basin, with isolated populations as far north as coastal Venezuela.

[89] It has been recorded breeding in an English coal mine 640 m (2,100 ft) below ground,[93] and feeding on the Empire State Building's observation deck at night.

[79][89] It has several adaptations to dry areas, including a high salt tolerance[97] and an ability to survive without water by ingesting berries.

[102] At feeding stations and nests, female house sparrows are dominant despite their smaller size, and they can fight over males in the breeding season.

It can perform complex tasks to obtain food, such as opening automatic doors to enter supermarkets,[110] clinging to hotel walls to watch vacationers on their balconies,[111] and nectar robbing kowhai flowers.

[118] In urban areas, the house sparrow also feeds largely on food provided directly or indirectly by humans, such as bread, though it prefers raw seeds.

[116][119] The house sparrow also eats some plant matter besides seeds, including buds, berries, and fruits such as grapes and cherries.

[122] True bugs, ants, sawflies, and beetles are also important, but house sparrows take advantage of whatever foods are abundant to feed their young.

[130] As the breeding season approaches, hormone releases trigger enormous increases in the size of the sexual organs and changes in day length lead males to start calling by nesting sites.

[131][132] The timing of mating and egg-laying varies geographically, and between specific locations and years because a sufficient supply of insects is needed for egg formation and feeding nestlings.

[140][141] Inbreeding depression is manifested as lower survival probability and production of fewer offspring, and can occur as a result of the expression of deleterious recessive alleles.

[140][141] Inbreeding depression is manifested as lower survival probability and production of fewer offspring, and can occur as a result of the expression of deleterious recessive alleles.

[171] After fledging and leaving the care of their parents, young sparrows have a high mortality rate, which lessens as they grow older and more experienced.

[182] Arboviruses such as the West Nile virus, which most commonly infect insects and mammals, survive winters in temperate areas by going dormant in birds such as the house sparrow.

They were among the first bird species to be seriously studied in terms of their circadian activity and photoperiodism, in part because of their availability and adaptability in captivity, but also because they can "find their way" and remain rhythmic in constant darkness.

[191] Usually, the house sparrow is regarded as a pest, since it consumes agricultural products and spreads disease to humans and their domestic animals.

From around 1560 to at least the 19th century in northern Europe, earthenware "sparrow pots" were hung from eaves to attract nesting birds so the young could be readily harvested.

[211] This status came to widespread attention after a female house sparrow, referred to as the "dominomus", was killed after knocking down dominoes arranged as part of an attempt to set a world record.

[212] These declines are not unprecedented, as similar reductions in population occurred when the internal combustion engine replaced horses in the 1920s and a major source of food in the form of grain spillage was lost.

[215] In South Asia, the house sparrow has largely vanished from major cities such as Karachi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Lahore.

[217] Various causes for the dramatic decreases in population have been proposed, including predation, in particular by Eurasian sparrowhawks,[218][219][220] possibly facilitated by the elimination of bushes which the sparrows use to hide,[205] electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones;[221] and diseases[222] such as avian malaria.