Posted by jan cronkhite on August 28, 2006

Q: my son noticed these sparrows at one of my feeders. oh look, the mom is feeding the baby, it is now the end of august. i looked and saw a male house sparrow and, i think, a female and she was, indeed begging and he was feeding her. she also would bow and flatten herself and put out her wings, reminding me of a mating hen. are these sparrows a pair and would they be courting at this late date?

Habitat: suburban/yard

State: Washington

Habitat: suburban/yard

A: Believe it or not, House Sparrows have been known to breed in every month of the year in parts of the U.S. In my area of New York State, our birds don't breed in the winter because it's much too cold but in some parts of the country, mild winters don't stop their nesting.

I'm not entirely sure what is happening with your birds. Your son may be right in that fledglings are cared for by the parents for quite some time after leaving the nest and do food beg by crouching and quivering their wings. It is also true that an adult female will also solicite food from her mate with this same "infantile" behavior as part of their bonding. So, I'm not sure if you have a baby begging or an adult female in your situation. Maybe your birds are indeed gearing up for another nest. Keep an eye on them and see what happens. Thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( August 28, 2006)