In the southern part of its range, the russet sparrow prefers higher altitudes, but in the north it breeds by the sea.

This sparrow feeds mainly on the seeds of herbs and grains, but it also eats berries and insects, particularly during the breeding season.

The English ornithologist John Gould described a specimen of the russet sparrow collected in the Himalayas at a meeting of the Zoological Society of London in December 1835 under the binomial name Pyrgita cinnamomea.

[5] The russet sparrow was described as Fringilla rutilans, by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck, from a specimen collected in Japan.

[6] Temminck's description is contained in his Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux which was issued in 102 livraisons or parts between 1820 and 1839.

It was at one time believed that the livraison containing the description of the russet sparrow was issued in 1835 but it has now been established that it appeared sometime in 1836 but as the precise date is not known under the rules of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature it is deemed to have been published on 31 December 1836.

[4][7] Most taxonomists give priority to Gould's publication and use the binomial name Passer cinnamomeus for the russet sparrow.

[17][18] The subspecies Passer cinnamomea rutilans breeds in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and southeastern and central China.

The subspecies intensior, described in 1922 by Walter Rothschild from Yunnan, breeds in southwest China and parts of India, Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.

[18] The nominate subspecies cinnamomeus, described by Gould from the northwestern Himalayas, breeds from northern Arunachal Pradesh to Nuristan in Afghanistan.

[25] In Himachal Pradesh, aviculturalist G. A. Perreau observed captive and wild birds and reported that they were yellow from December to spring and whitish during the remainder of the year, a pattern which may be atypical.

[26][27][28] The breeding male is bright russet or cinnamon red on its upperparts from its crown to its rump, with a black streaking on its mantle.

[17] The side of its neck and cheek are off-white, and its underparts are pale grey or washed with yellow, varying geographically.

[11][17] The only species with which the male is easily confused is the Eurasian tree sparrow, which differs in its black cheek spot and brown back.

[25] Sometimes the male strings calls together and sings them in a strident tone, to create a sort of short song, transcribed as cheep chirrup cheeweep or chreet-chreet-chreet.

[18] In the Himalayas the russet sparrow breeds from the far northeast of India through southeastern Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh to Kashmir and Nuristan in Afghanistan.

[18] Here, the russet sparrow makes short movements to lower altitudes between November and April in many areas.

[18] The russet sparrow also occurs as a winter visitor in southern Japan, the further south of China,[18] and northern Thailand.

[18] The russet sparrow appears to be abundant in most habitats across most of its very large range,[1] and in the some areas it is among the most common birds.

[38] In eastern Asia, the russet sparrow prefers light woodland, but it is sometimes found in towns and agricultural areas.

[41] In towns where it occurs alongside the house or tree sparrow, it is found in gardens and less built up areas.

[38] In the winter, migratory birds occur in open cultivated land and riverine grasslands, but are never far from shrubs or trees.

[17] The russet sparrow is described as shy and wary by some observers, but J. Denis Summers-Smith found it approachable in Indian hill stations.

[43] Outside its breeding season, the russet sparrow is gregarious and forms flocks to find food, though it infrequently associates with other birds.

The russet sparrow is also social at night during the winter, and it forms large communal roosts in trees and bushes.

[43] The adult russet sparrow is mostly a seed-eater, eating the seeds of herbs and weeds as well as rice, barley, and other grains.

[45] Other recorded parasites of the russet sparrow include Protocalliphora blowflies,[46][47] and Menacanthus chewing lice.

[51] Other nest locations include the eaves of thatched roofs, stone walls and embankments, and electric junction boxes.