House Sparrows with white cheeks (1 Viewer)

[wolfbirder]

Just wondered if the variation in cheek colour on the male signified anything , age of bird, possible cross House/Tree Sparrow??

Just noticed a few beautifully marked males in garden with cheeks as white as a tree sparrow, whilst others have grey cheeks.

Just wondered if anyone else had views as to whether there is any significance to this.

 

[garry1366]

Wolfbirder,

I think some are in summer plumage so stand out in amongst the drabber ones.

G

 

[lapwing1]

I've often wondered whether House and Tree would interbreed, you see them mingling at times, wonder if it would be possible?

 

[Terry O'Nolley]

Tree sparrows have uniformly grey cheeks with a rufous eye line and bi-colored bills.
House Sparrows can have very white cheeks but have no eyeline - their dark color extends from their eye to the top of their heads.

I doubt those species have ever interbred. House Sparrows are introduced from Europe and are of a totally different geneology.

Has anyone heard of a HS x TS hybrid?

 

[cavan wood]

I think they're talking about european tree sparrow Terry.

 

[AlexC]

I think they're talking about european tree sparrow Terry.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow - same difference.

 

[Katy Penland]

I believe Scott was using the generic term "European" to differentiate the tree sparrow there from the tree sparrow in North America, which is called American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea). Eurasian Tree Sparrow is a different species (Passer montanus). Whether either tree sparrow hybridizes with the (English) House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) on either continent, I'll leave to the experts.

 

[wolfbirder]

Thanks for your thoughts guys from across the pond. Eurasian Tree Sparrows have white cheeks, but i hadnt really appreciated the fact that the whiteness of male house sparrow cheeks might be related to breeding pummage. I realise the breast bibb expands in breeding plummage. I just put the cheek colour down to individual deifferences.

 

[wolfbirder]

....and Gary & Lapwing too!

 

[pduxon]

I believe Scott was using the generic term "European" to differentiate the tree sparrow there from the tree sparrow in North America, which is called American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea). Eurasian Tree Sparrow is a different species (Passer montanus). Whether either tree sparrow hybridizes with the (English) House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) on either continent, I'll leave to the experts.

I am not an expert but i believe it does. I saw a bird at Welney that had no grey on its head so looked a perfect a Eurasian Tree Sparrow BUT lacked the black cheek spots

 

[Jane Turner]

Tree Sparrow and House Sparrow are known to hybridise, even in the US! That said I think the variation wolfbirder is seeing is not hybrid related.

Barlow, J. C., and S. N. Leckie. 2000. Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus). In The Birds of North America, No. 560 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.



http://www.birdresearch.dk/unilang/raritet/hybrid_sparrow/hybrid.htm

 

[Capercaillie71]

I've often wondered whether House and Tree would interbreed, you see them mingling at times, wonder if it would be possible?

You might be interested in this thread:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=58140

 

[Katy Penland]

Thanks for the hybrid info and links, guys. Most interesting. :t: