Both male house sparrows and females have brown backs, with dark streaks, and grey underparts. Males can easily be distinguished from females by their facial markings, with a grey crown, chestnut back with black streaks, black around the bill, extending down into a black bib.

The males beak is a yellow brown in winter but is black in the summer. Their legs are a pale brown.

Females are generally much paler all over and lack the facial markings. Their backs are noticeably striped with buff, black, and brown.

The juveniles look very much like the adult females.

House sparrows, during their breeding season mate very frequently. After May, 3-5 whitish, blotched eggs are laid. The nest is an untidy domed or cup-shaped structure of rubbish: paper, straw, string.

The female incubates the eggs for up to 14 days, after which time both parents share the task of feeding the young for around 15 days.

Three or more broods may be produced every breeding season

For the first part of the nesting period, house sparrows will feed their young small insects.They may still be fed by the adults for another 2 weeks after leaving the nest