House Sparrow vs Red-tailed Hawk
Passer domesticus compared with Buteo jamaicensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | House Sparrow | Red-tailed Hawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Passer domesticus | Buteo jamaicensis |
| Order | Passeriformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Passeridae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 16.0 cm (6.3 in) | 53.0 cm (20.9 in) |
| Wingspan | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 124.0 cm (48.8 in) |
| Weight | 30.0 g (1.06 oz) | 1080.0 g (38.10 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily seeds and grains, supplemented with insects during breeding season. Readily exploits human food scraps … | Small to medium mammals, especially voles, mice, and rabbits. Also takes birds, reptiles, and large … |
| Clutch Size | 1-8 | 2-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
House Sparrow only
None
Red-tailed Hawk only
House Sparrow
Closely associated with human habitation. Found in cities, towns, farms, and any built environment. Rarely found far from people.
Red-tailed Hawk
Open country with scattered elevated perches such as trees, poles, and cliffs. Adaptable to farmland, grasslands, roadsides, and suburban areas.
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-tailed Hawk
Iconic, raspy descending scream: 'kreeeeee-ar', often used in films for all raptors. Gives short barking 'kak' notes near nest. Juveniles beg with persistent squealing whistles.
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-tailed Hawk
North America from Alaska to Panama, including the Caribbean. One of the most common raptors in North America.
Conservation Status
House Sparrow
Red-tailed Hawk
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-tailed Hawk
Variable plumage from pale to dark morphs. Most adults have rich brown upperparts, a pale breast with a dark belly band, and the characteristic rufous-red tail.
Dark hooked bill with a yellow cere
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-tailed Hawk
The red-tailed hawk is the most widespread and common hawk in North America. Its screaming cry is so iconic that it is often dubbed over bald eagle footage in films and television. These adaptable raptors thrive in human-altered landscapes and are a familiar sight perched along highways.