House Sparrows in Texas

House Sparrows live in Texas all year. Hard freezes are brief outside the Panhandle, so most feeder birds face heat and drought stress more than cold. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward grain and feeder seed.

Humid subtropical in the east and along the Gulf, semi-arid to arid in the west; long, hot summers and short, mild winters over most of the state.

Across Texas, 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.

Afternoon highs regularly exceed 95°F — nest boxes need shade or light-colored, ventilated construction, and water matters as much as food.

• House Sparrows don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as red maple for nest sites.
• Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.

Of the regional native plants we track for Texas, 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 Texas's winter: Hard freezes are brief outside the Panhandle, so most feeder birds face heat and drought stress more than cold.

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