House Sparrow

This is the common House Sparrow. They are native to Europe and northern Africa. Introduced in Brooklyn in the 1850's to combat insect pests that were damaging grain and cereal crops, they had little effect. House Sparrows are primarily vegetarian and eat mostly seeds, fruit, and some insects. They visit feeders quite often.

House Sparrows were introduced in Galveston, TX in the 1860's. By 1905, they could be found statewide.

This is a male.

White-Crowned Sparrow

The white-crowned sparrow is much like the "typical" sparrow, but is easily distinguished by his black-and-white striped cap. It might bring to mind thoughts of a bicycle helmet. His crown will not go unnoticed, even when he's flitting around in heavy brush. He eats seeds and insects that he scratches from the ground, berries, buds, mosscaps, and will also eat from feeders. The White-Crowned Sparrow does not nest in Texas, but does winter over here.

The White-Throated Sparrow is similar in that he also has the stripes on his crown, but has a clearly visible white throat.
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