Last Updated on January 26, 2024 by Greg Gillson
House Sparrows are usually the easiest birds to attract to your bird feeder.
House sparrows are year-round residents in towns and cities throughout the contiguous Unted States. So you likely have these birds nearby that you can attract.
How do you attract House Sparrows to your feeder? Follow these suggestions to attract House Sparrows to your yard.
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| Male House Sparrow. Greg Gillson. |
Why attract House Sparrows to your bird feeder?
House Sparrows are often the first birds to find your new feeder. Feeding House Sparrows often attract other birds to your feeder. Thus, by attracting House Sparrows to your feeder, you may quickly get lots of other birds to your feeder, too.
House Sparrows are usually found in flocks. They have interesting behaviors and social interactions.
For instance, in a study published in the journal Auk, female House Sparrows were often dominant at feeders in fall and winter. In spring and summer, males were usually dominant.
In spring, watch the males lower their head, flutter their wings, raise their tail, and spin in front of the female in their courtship display.
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| Female House Sparrow. |
What foods will attract House Sparrows to your feeder?
House Sparrows prefer grains over seeds.
Thus, their favorite foods are cracked corn, wheat and milo. Blackbirds, doves, and quail also eat these grains. Most other North American feeder birds do not like these grains.
House Sparrows also like seed blocks, which are also a favorite of quails and doves. These can even sit on bare ground. Birds have to nibble these blocks to get the seeds loose. So they are less messy than other feeding methods.
All sparrows in North America, including House Sparrows like white proso millet. Thus, there isn’t as much waste and mess with these seeds compared with red milo and other grains used as cheap bird seed.
What kind of feeders do House Sparrows like?
House Sparrows prefer to eat from platform feeders. These feeders are just an open tray that mimic open bare ground. They are the favorite feeder type of ground-eating birds.
They feed in flocks, squabbling and bickering. Thus, they like a wide feeder area.
Here is a low, wide, fly-thru platform feeder with roof.
They also eat on the ground. So, a low feeder or just grain spread on bare ground, is their favorite way to eat.
Where to place your bird feeder for House Sparrows
House Sparrows are not afraid to be around people. Thus, you can place their feeder just about anywhere and they will happily eat from it.
They do, however, like to feed on the ground. So a lower bird feeder makes them happy. Anything low to the ground will be favored.
They also like to rummage through dirt or gravel for seeds on the ground.
How else can you attract House Sparrows to your yard?
House Sparrows really like water and bird baths. A concrete bird bath provides the rough surface they like for gripping with their feet.
And don’t fill it too deep. Most birds like to wade from shallow into deeper water for baths. They are uncomfortable with deeper water (over 1 inch).
If your bird bath is too deep, add flat stones so they can walk down into the water.
House Sparrows readily use nest boxes. They like a perch and larger hole (1-1/2 inch diameter).
Problems with House Sparrows: If you have attracted too many to your feeder
Many people don’t like House Sparrows at their feeder. There are many reasons, but most come down to these birds often growing into large, noisy, aggressive and messy flocks.
If you would rather not have House Sparrows, or reduce their number at your bird feeder, there are several things you can do.
First, feed you birds black oil sunflower seeds from a tube feeder, with no tray.
House Sparrows have weak feet and have difficulty keeping their balance with the small perches on tube feeders. And only one sparrow can eat at a time from each feeding port. It doesn’t keep them away, but it does slow them down and allow other finches and chickadees to eat at the feeder.
House Sparrows take longer to eat black oil sunflower seeds. They prefer smaller grains. On the other hand, black oil sunflower seed is the favorite of most other finches, cardinals, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches.
I really love the way my iBorn tube feeder looks, with it’s copper top. A screwdriver takes off the lower perch and opens it up for cleaning. This feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds attracts all types of finches, chickadees, and nuthatches. The smaller perches and lack of tray mean that you’ll have fewer House Sparrows, Starlings, Doves, and Jays at this feeder.
Secondly, you may try this trick to scare House Sparrows away from feeders. It seems House Sparrows are the only birds afraid of monofilament fishing line.
Attach some strands about 2 inches apart and just hanging down from the roof line of a hopper feeder, fly-thru platform feeder, or suspend it around the edge of a plastic dome over a tube feeder.
Wrapping Up
House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), became widespread in the US thanks to a combination of intentional introductions and their own adaptability:
Intentional Introductions:
- The story starts in 1851-1852 when eight pairs of house sparrows were deliberately released in Brooklyn, New York, for pest control. They were believed to help manage the spread of the linden moth.
- This initial release sparked a trend of “sparrow enthusiasm”. People released more sparrows throughout the US, often motivated by the birds’ aesthetic appeal or a desire for additional pest control.
- Nest boxes were erected, food was provided, and legal protection was sought for the species.
Adaptability and Opportunity:
- House sparrows are highly adaptable birds. They thrive in human-modified environments like cities and farms, readily utilizing human structures for nesting and finding food scraps and spilled grains.
- Their high reproductive rate and short generation time allowed them to quickly establish populations.
- Additionally, their aggressive nature sometimes helped them outcompete native bird species for resources.
Unforeseen Consequences:
- While initially welcomed, the widespread success of house sparrows turned problematic. They competed with native birds for nesting sites and food, impacting populations of species like bluebirds and tree swallows.
- Their droppings can sometimes cause damage to buildings and monuments.
Current Status:
- Today, house sparrows are one of the most common birds in North America. However, their populations have declined in recent decades due to factors like habitat loss and pesticide use.
- While their introduction remains a controversial topic, they are now a firmly established part of the North American avifauna.
Summary:
The widespread presence of sparrows in the US is a result of unintentional consequences arising from well-meaning intentions. Their adaptability and human-reliance allowed them to thrive, though their success has come at a cost to some native bird populations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are House Sparrows good to have around?
Whether House Sparrows are “good” to have around depends heavily on your perspective and priorities. Here’s a breakdown:
- Insect Control: They do eat some insects, including some garden pests like caterpillars and beetles.
- Lively Entertainment: Their constant activity and cheerful chirping can be entertaining for some people.
- Cultural Significance: They are deeply ingrained in folklore and literature, holding meaning for some individuals.
Why are House Sparrows invasive?
House Sparrows are considered invasive primarily because of their negative impact on native bird populations and their adaptation to human-modified environments. Here’s a breakdown of the key reasons:
Competition with native birds:
- Nest sites: House Sparrows aggressively compete with native cavity-nesting birds like bluebirds and swallows for nesting sites, often taking over their cavities and destroying existing nests. Their aggressive nature and early breeding season give them an advantage in securing nest boxes.
- Food sources: They readily utilize bird feeders and compete with native birds for food resources like seeds and insects. Their aggressive behavior can intimidate smaller birds and drive them away from feeding areas.
- Overall impact: This competition can lead to population declines of native birds, disrupting the delicate balance of local ecosystems.
Adaptation to human environments:
- Nest building: House Sparrows readily utilize human structures for nesting, building their nests in crevices, eaves, and other man-made cavities. This dependence on human infrastructure gives them an advantage over native birds who rely on natural habitats.
- Food sources: They thrive on readily available food sources in human-modified environments, like spilled grains, seeds, and scraps. This dependence on human food sources makes them less reliant on natural ecosystems.
- Impact on urban biodiversity: Their success in urban environments comes at the expense of native bird species who struggle to compete for resources and nesting sites.
What do House Sparrows hate?
House Sparrows, like any living creature, don’t truly “hate” things, but they certainly avoid or dislike certain stimuli that can be used to deter them from specific areas. Here are some things House Sparrows tend to dislike:
Habitat disruptions:
- Physical barriers: Netting or exclusion barriers around nesting sites or bird feeders can effectively prevent them from accessing these resources.
- Habitat modifications: Removing potential nesting sites like cavities in buildings or dense shrubs can make your property less attractive to them.
- Loud noises and sudden movements: While they thrive in busy environments, loud, startling noises or erratic movements can deter them from specific areas.
Food preferences:
- Spicy deterrents: Capsaicin-based sprays or feeders with hot pepper coatings can discourage them from feeding.
- Bitter flavors: Sprays or coatings with bitter-tasting compounds can make bird feeders less appealing.
- Alternative food sources: Providing food sources attractive to native birds but disliked by House Sparrows, like suet or nectar feeders, can divert their attention from feeders meant for other species.
Visual deterrents:
- Reflective surfaces: Shiny, reflective objects like Mylar balloons or streamers can startle them and discourage them from approaching.
- Predatory bird decoys: Realistic owl or hawk decoys can create the illusion of danger and keep them away.
- Mirror placement: Strategically placed mirrors can create confusing reflections and disorient them, making them avoid the area.
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