House Sparrow - Behaviour

The House Sparrow is a very social bird. It is gregarious at all seasons when feeding, often forming flocks with other types of bird. It also roosts communally, its nests are usually grouped together in clumps, and it engages in social activities such as dust and water bathing, and "social singing", in which birds call together in bushes. The House Sparrow feeds mostly on the ground, but it flocks in trees and bushes. Non-breeding sparrows roost in large groups in trees, gathering beforehand and calling together. At feeding stations and nests, female House Sparrows are dominant despite their smaller size.

Most birds do not move more than a few kilometres. However, there is limited migration in all regions. Some young birds disperse long distances, especially on coasts, and mountain birds move to lower altitudes in winter. Two subspecies, bactrianus and parkini, are predominately migratory. Unlike the birds in sedentary populations that migrate, birds of migratory subspecies prepare for migration by putting on weight.