Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

The Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus, is a small and neatly marked passerine belonging to the family Passeridae, and the shyer, more rural counterpart of the familiar House Sparrow. Unlike its relative, the sexes are identical – both showing a rich chestnut crown, clean white cheeks with a distinctive black spot, and a small black bib – making it arguably the more attractive of the two species. It favours traditional farmland with mature hedgerow trees, woodland edges, and old orchards, nesting in holes in veteran trees and readily taking to nest boxes. The Tree Sparrow underwent one of the most catastrophic declines of any British farmland bird through the latter twentieth century, with populations falling by over 90%, and it remains a Red List species, though targeted conservation has brought local recoveries in some areas. Image: © laerkelarsen, iNaturalist.

Find out more: RSPB, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, iNaturalist