House Sparrow Pool Party

BirdNote^® 
House Sparrow Pool Party 
Written by Frances Wood

This is BirdNote!

        [Sounds of House Sparrows chattering and splashing]

Like preteens at a swimming pool, this flock of House Sparrows chatters as it splashes in a birdbath. Pudgy, social, chatty, and ubiquitous, the House Sparrow has adapted to living in cities, suburbs, and rural areas. Considered by some just another “little brown bird,” a closer look reveals more: the male House Sparrow’s head is decorated with chestnut and gray, and he sports a black bib.

Like most birds, these sparrows enjoy a daily bath. By setting out a birdbath, you can watch them lower their head and shimmy down into the water, wings slightly spread. Then they pop out and shake like a dog, water droplets flying.

If you’ve ever watched a bird bathing in a puddle, you know that birds like very shallow water; an inch or two is plenty. Be sure your birdbath has a flat rim or rocks for the birds to perch on to shake and dry.

If you aren’t interested in setting out birdfeeders, installing a birdbath can be an entertaining alternative. These chattering, gregarious House Sparrows may be the first to arrive.

        [More chattering and splashing]

Hmmm, drinking and bathing in the same water? That's birds for you! That's why it's so important to keep your bird bath clean. You'll keep the birds healthy and safe from disease. 

For BirdNote, I'm Michael Stein.

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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin

Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recorded by W.W.H. Gunn. Ambient sounds provided by Kessler Productions.
© 2012 Tune In to Nature.org   May 2012 / July 2025 

 Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# HOSP-01c-2012-5-13    HOSP-01b