Sparrows are brown-grey chubby birds. They have short tails with stubby and powerful beaks. These are effortless flying birds with small size and bodies. These creatures make their way to the air creating a splendid sight to see.

Sparrows are considered to be extreme vocal birds of all times. The sizes of these birds vary according to the region they inhabit. Sparrows are similar to other seed-eating birds except they possess an extra bone in tongue and an outer primary feather. Sparrows cannot be found in forests or deserts, unlike other birds. It prefers being in close association to human settlement, including urban and rural areas. They inhabit on ideal sparrow habitat nesting on buildings, roofs, and houses.

However, the little melodious bird, house sparrows that once used to wake us up every day by chirping outside our balconies and windows are gradually becoming extinct. When was the last time you saw them? You might not remember as they are no longer a common sight.

To draw attention and to raise awareness regarding the once ubiquitous bird, March 20 has been marked as World Sparrow Day. It is an initiative by an Indian conservationist in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France) and several other national and international organisations across the globe. Here are some interesting facts about house sparrows, who love to live very close to humans.

1. Sparrows Are Easy to Attract

Our incredible sparrow facts have to start with their ease of viewing! Sparrows are one of the easiest birds to attract to your backyard. Birders can encourage visits by putting out well-placed feeders. They’re even responsive to pishing. Pishing is a way of imitating a bird’s call to attract them. It’s a useful technique for birders to master. If the weather is good and there aren’t nearby humans, it’s easy to call for sparrows. Other birds that respond to pishing include warblers, wrens, kinglets, jays, finches, and chickadees.

2. Sparrows Use Cigarettes as Nest Material

Why is that sparrow flying away with a cigarette? Don’t worry; it’s not going to smoke it; it’s going to build a nest. Sparrows in the city are using cigarette butts to protect their nest. The nicotine helps drive away parasitic mites. When they can find an unsmoked cigarette, those butts work better than the smoked ones. This is because they have more nicotine to trap the mites.

3. A Sparrow Knocked Down 23,000 Dominoes

Can you imagine what it would be like almost breaking a world record, only to have a sparrow get in the way? That’s precisely what happened in the Netherlands when a sparrow knocked over a domino exhibit. The female sparrow flew into the convention center, where 23,000 dominoes were set up for a big event. The display was almost complete. However, after the tiny house sparrow bumped it, everything fell.

4. Sleep-Deprived Sparrows Are Still Alert

Not catching enough z’s can ruin your day. But sparrows don’t have this issue. The white-crowned sparrow appears to be immune to sleep deprivation. White-crowned sparrows can stay fully alert throughout long periods of sleep deprivation. The ability helps them when it’s time to migrate. They travel an impressive distance of 4,000 km between Southern California and Alaska, with almost zero shut-eye. They fly through the night and eat during the day. Wouldn’t it be great to have that type of energy?

5. They Show Aggression With Wing Waves

Last on the list of incredible sparrow facts; they wave their wings to communicate with each other. Scientists used to believe that wing waving was a friendly way for sparrows to say hello or goodbye to friends. But that’s not the case. The opposite is true; wing waving is all about displaying anger.