House Sparrows and House Finches are among the most common birds at backyard bird feeders across the United States. Both House Sparrow and House Finch ranges cover most of North America, so knowing the difference between a House Sparrow vs House Finch can be useful.
Although separating finches and sparrows is more difficult than separating birds like grackles and starlings, there are plenty of differences in both appearance and behavior that can aid in identification. Still sparrows and finches are so similar that some ask, “Is a sparrow a finch?”. Although sparrows are not finches, it’s easy to see how some could get confused. Keep reading to learn about the differences between finch vs sparrow.
Table of Contents
Key Differences – Appearance
The colors and proportions of both House Finches are House Sparrows are quite similar, with both species being fairly drab birds with sizable bills.
Therefore, we need to know some more details about these songbirds to assist in the House Finch vs House Sparrow debate. Let’s examine the specific characteristics of the sexes of these birds.
|
House Sparrow |
House Finch |
|
|
Size |
6 inches to 6.6 inches |
5 inches to 5.5 inches |
|
Habitat |
Residential areas; farmsteads |
Residential areas, deserts |
|
Behavior |
Gregarious, aggressive |
Gregarious, docile |
|
Diet |
Seeds, grains, insects |
Seeds, fruits, insects |
Male House Sparrow
Male House Sparrows are distinctive with their black throats, faces, and chests during the breeding season. However, keep in mind that the black coloration fades during the nonbreeding season and gives way to birds that are grayer overall.
A House Sparrow male also has a gray cap, pale cheeks, pale underside, brown neck, and brown and black back.
Male House Sparrow
Male House Sparrows are distinctive with their black throats, faces, and chests during the breeding season. However, keep in mind that the black coloration fades during the nonbreeding season and gives way to birds that are grayer overall.
A House Sparrow male also has a gray cap, pale cheeks, pale underside, brown neck, and brown and black back.
Male House Finch
A House Finch male is also quite distinctive with a bright red breast, throat, and face to accompany an otherwise plain appearance. Male House Finches are brown overall aside from the red that they possess. They have dark streaks on their undersides.
Female House Sparrow
A House Sparrow female is among the most unassuming birds that you will see, but a comparison of a female House Finch vs sparrow is a difficult identification challenge.
House Sparrow females have plain, light gray undersides that are unmarked and brown and black backs. Female House Sparrows have brown crowns, gray cheeks, and pale supercilia.
Female House Finch
Separating a female House Finch vs sparrow can be a real challenge for the untrained eye. Fortunately, the two birds can be differentiated by noting the dark streaking that female House Finches have on their undersides.
Female House Finches are largely brown overall with pale, streaked undersides and dark backs.
Size
Comparing the sizes of two similar bird species may help make identification easier in some cases. Unfortunately, in the case of a House Sparrow vs House Finch, size is not the most helpful of field marks since they’re so similar.
Nonetheless, House Sparrows are slightly larger than House Finches, as they measure 6.25 inches long compared to the 5.75-inch long build of House Finches. Meanwhile, House Sparrows weigh an average of 1 ounce, while House Finches weigh about 0.75 ounces.
These subtle differences in size can be hard to discern in the field, so they should not be used as reliable indicators of identification when trying to separate a House Finch vs House Sparrow.
Nesting Habits
Although House Sparrows and House Finches are similar in their appearance and size, comparing House Finch nesting habits to those of House Sparrows can be helpful for identification. Let’s examine the nesting tendencies of these birds to aid in the House Finch vs House Sparrow debate.
House Sparrow Nesting
One of the first things a male and female House Sparrow bird do after forming a pair involves searching for a place to build a nest. House Sparrows are cavity nesters, meaning they create nests in spaces such as birdhouses and other small openings.
A House Sparrow nest is a messy assortment of grasses, weeds, feathers, fur, and garbage. Both male and female House Sparrows assist with nest construction, and cavities are often filled to the brim with nesting materials.
House Sparrow Eggs
House Sparrows are prolific breeders, being capable of producing four broods annually. Females may lay as many as 8 eggs in each clutch, while males aggressively guard House Sparrow eggs and nest structures. House Sparrow eggs are pale and littered with black spots.
A baby House Sparrow is incubated for as many as two weeks before hatching from its egg. A House Sparrow fledgling may then leave the nest in 10 to 14 days. Males and females alike care for their juvenile House Sparrow offspring until they can fend for themselves.
House Finch Nesting
Unlike House Sparrows, House Finches do not build nests in cavities such as birdhouses. Instead, House Finch nesting habits differ in that they construct neat, cup-shaped nests from materials like grasses, roots, twigs, feathers, and debris. This is an important distinction when comparing a female House Finch vs sparrow.
House Finches are not afraid to nest near humans, and you may find a House Finch nest in shrubs or hanging baskets right next to your house.
House Finch Eggs
House Finches have an unbelievable ability to reproduce, as females may lay up to 6 broods annually! Each clutch may contain as many as 6 eggs, with House Finch eggs being variable in color and pattern. Most House Finch eggs are pale white or blue with fewer spots than House Sparrow eggs.
Young hatch in two weeks and a juvenile House Finch may stay in the nest for nearly 20 days.
Behavior
Sparrow vs finch behavior is another feature of these birds that can be useful for separating a House Finch vs House Sparrow. House Sparrows are much more aggressive than their finch counterparts, as they frequently bully other birds when competing for cavities or food. In fact, House Sparrows have been known to kill other birds that are occupying a cavity that they want.
The aggressive tendencies of House Sparrows are why many label them as bad birds. But what about House Finches – are House Finches aggressive?
House Finches are much more docile compared to House Sparrows. They seldom harass other birds, being able to coexist with most species. This is another important distinction when comparing a House Sparrow vs House Finch.
Both House Sparrows and House Finches are gregarious, but House Sparrows tend to be found in larger groups than House Finches. However, both species may be found in groups of several dozen birds.
Though recognizing behavior can be helpful when differentiating between a House Finch vs House Sparrow, some wonder if one of these birds lives longer than the other. Let’s examine House Sparrow and House Finch lifespan.
Lifespan
Neither House Sparrows nor House Finches live lengthy lives given their small size. Consequently, the average House Finch and House Sparrow lifespan is less than one year old, so this metric is not very useful in the sparrow vs finch debate.
In the absence of predators and other factors that cause mortality, a House Finch or House Sparrow lifespan can endure for 15 years. However, such instances are extremely rare.
House Finch Vs House Sparrow Diet
House Sparrows and House Finches each have large bills that are adapted to process seeds and grains. Therefore, a House Finch vs House Sparrow diet can be quite similar.
Anyone with a bird feeder will know that both of these birds love to frequent backyards and devour an assortment of seeds. The large bills of these birds enable them to eat a wider array of food compared to birds like goldfinches that have small bills.
House Finch food and House Sparrow food can be a wide variety of different seeds. However, House Finches tend to enjoy sunflower seeds and safflower seeds much more than House Sparrows. House Sparrows tend to enjoy eating cracked corn, millet, and sorghum.
House Sparrows also consume a decent amount of insects during the warm months of the year, but seeds are certainly their favorite foods. Seeds are also preferred by House Finches. However, like robins, these birds will eat fruit when their preferred food is not available.