A sparrow is a small, mostly drab brown bird that belongs to the family Passeridae. The term "sparrow" is used to describe a wide range of small birds, including buntings, towhees, and juncos. Sparrows are generally small, plump, brown and grey birds with short tails and stubby, powerful beaks. The differences between sparrow species can be subtle, and they range in size from the chestnut sparrow, at 11.4 centimeters (4.5 in) and 13.4 grams (0.47 oz), to the parrot-billed sparrow, at 18 centimeters (7.1 in) and 42 grams (1.5 oz) .
Sparrows are granivorous seed eaters, though they also consume a fair amount of insects, especially during the spring and summer when the protein from insects is essential for growing hatchlings. In the backyard, sparrows are fairly undiscriminating and will eat black oil sunflower seeds, millet, cracked corn, milo, bread scraps, and a range of other foods. Sparrows are fast, agile fliers that use a series of rapid wing beats followed by a brief glide with folded wings to fly.
The house sparrow is a type of sparrow that is extensively associated with human settlements and is culturally prominent. It is typically about 16 cm (6.3 in) long, ranging from 14 to 18 cm (5.5 to 7.1 in), and is a compact bird with a full chest and a large, rounded head. Its bill is stout and conical with a culmen length of 1.1–1.5 cm (0.43–0.59 in), and its tail is short, at 5.2–6.5 cm (2.0–2.6 in) long. The house sparrow is not related to other North American sparrows and is differently shaped, being chunkier, fuller in the chest, with a larger, rounded head, shorter tail, and stouter bill than most American sparrows.
