Diet
What do house sparrows eat?
Grain, seeds and food scraps.
Old World sparrows (Passeridae)House SparrowPasser domesticus
Spring and summer diet
- Seeds and insects for nestlings
Fall and winter diet
- Grain and feeder seed
Best feeder foods
- Millet
- Cracked corn
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.
Where house sparrows need winter food
Regions where house sparrows are present in the cold months:
AlabamaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNova ScotiaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Frequently asked
What do house sparrows eat?
Grain, seeds and food scraps.
What is the best food to feed house sparrows?
Millet, Cracked corn.
What do house sparrows eat in winter?
Grain and feeder seed.
Sources
- House Sparrow — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- House Sparrow life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- House Sparrow — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.