House Sparrows in California

House Sparrows live in California all year. Wet, mild winters are the green season — the busiest time at coastal feeders as sparrows and hummingbirds settle in. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward grain and feeder seed.

Mediterranean along the coast and Central Valley, alpine in the Sierra Nevada, and desert in the southeast.

Across California, house sparrows typically nest from March–August. Nest site: messy grass nest in any cavity, including nest boxes. Females lay 4–6 eggs, incubate for 10–14 days, and young leave the nest after 14 days.

Dry summers with little rain from May to October; water and summer-blooming natives matter more than extra seed.

• House Sparrows don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as rabbitbrush, palo verde, prickly pear for nest sites.
• Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.

Of the regional native plants we track for California, these 8 provide food or cover house sparrows use:

An introduced species that evicts bluebirds and kills nestlings; use 1 1/2 in bluebird holes, monitor boxes, and avoid millet if it's a problem.

• Best foods: Millet, Cracked corn.
• In California's winter: Wet, mild winters are the green season — the busiest time at coastal feeders as sparrows and hummingbirds settle in.

Full diet breakdown for house sparrows · Best feeder for house sparrows