Birds in Nature - images of wild birds by Richard Ditch

Subject: House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) female
Place: Phoenix, AZ, USA
Date: April 2004
Equipment: Nikon N90S, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E (= 600/5.6), tripod
Film: Fuji Sensia 100
Exposure: Aperture priority matrix metered, fill flash @ -1.7
Scan: Minolta Dimage, 90% of frame

Commentary: I have very few photos of this widespread introduced species. It is held in low regard by most knowledgeable birders as it has displayed native species from traditional nesting locations. But it has been a part of the avian world in North America for at least 150 years and is one of the few birds that can be found in some urban settings.

It is not related to the native sparrows of North America, in spite of the common name. This bird is really a weaver finch. Note how heavy the bill looks in this side view, and how unlike that is to our true sparrows.

The male shows a lot of black around the face in breeding plumage.