House Sparrow vs Red-crowned Crane
Passer domesticus compared with Grus japonensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | House Sparrow | Red-crowned Crane |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Passer domesticus | Grus japonensis |
| Order | Passeriformes | Gruiformes |
| Family | Passeridae | Gruidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | 16.0 cm (6.3 in) | 150.0 cm (59.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 250.0 cm (98.4 in) |
| Weight | 30.0 g (1.06 oz) | 8900.0 g (313.94 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily seeds and grains, supplemented with insects during breeding season. Readily exploits human food scraps … | Omnivorous — fish, amphibians, insects, grasses, and waste grain. Forages in wetlands and agricultural fields. |
| Clutch Size | 1-8 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
House Sparrow
Closely associated with human habitation. Found in cities, towns, farms, and any built environment. Rarely found far from people.
Red-crowned Crane
Freshwater marshes, bogs, and wet grasslands for breeding. Winters in coastal mudflats, estuaries, and rice paddies.
Song & Call Comparison
House Sparrow
Monotonous series of chirping 'cheep' and 'chirrup' notes. Male gives 'chilp' song repeatedly. Flocks produce constant chirping chatter. No melodic song; purely functional calls.
Red-crowned Crane
Spectacular unison 'bugling' call: a clear, resonant, far-carrying trumpet 'kru-ru-ru' given by paired birds simultaneously. Among the most majestic bird calls in Asia.
Geographic Range & Migration
House Sparrow
Native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Introduced to every continent except Antarctica, making it the most widely distributed wild bird.
Red-crowned Crane
Eastern Asia — breeds in northeastern China, southeastern Russia, and Hokkaido, Japan. Winters in Korea and eastern China.
Conservation Status
House Sparrow
Red-crowned Crane
How to Tell Them Apart
House Sparrow
Males have grey crowns, chestnut napes, black bibs, and streaked brown backs. Females and juveniles are plain buffy-brown with a pale eyebrow stripe.
Short, stout, conical bill — black in breeding males, yellowish in non-breeding
Red-crowned Crane
White body plumage with black secondary flight feathers and throat. Bare red crown patch. Black face and neck. One of the most elegant crane species.
Long, straight, olive-green bill
About These Birds
House Sparrow
The house sparrow is perhaps the most successful bird in the world at living alongside humans. Introduced to New York in 1851, it spread across North America within decades. Despite its global abundance, house sparrow populations have declined significantly in parts of western Europe.
Red-crowned Crane
The red-crowned crane is one of the rarest crane species and a potent symbol of longevity and fidelity in East Asian culture. Their elaborate unison call and dancing displays have inspired art and folklore for millennia. The resident population on Hokkaido, Japan, recovered from about 33 birds in 1952 to over 1,800 today.