Sunday Inspiration – Old World Sparrows | Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus

Italian Sparrow (Passer italiae) ©WikiC

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. (Matthew 10:29 KJV)

Our Lord mentions Sparrows in six verses of the Bible. There are various reasons why, but one of them has to do with how He knows if one of His sparrows dies. If the Lord, Our Creator, cares about a little sparrow falling, how much more does the Lord God care about His people?

Swahili Sparrow (Passer suahelicus) ©WikiC

This weeks Passerine Family, Song birds, is the Passeridae – Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches Family. There are two Sparrow families, the other one is the Emberizidae – Buntings, New World Sparrows and allies Family which we will cover later.

The Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches, Weavers and an Ibon make up the 51 members of this family.

White-winged Snowfinch (Montifringilla nivalis) ©WikiC

“They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer. They are distinct from the American sparrows, which although similar in appearance are placed in the family Emberizidae, and from a few other birds sharing their name, such as the Java Sparrow. Many species nest on buildings, and the House and Eurasian Tree Sparrows in particular inhabit cities in large numbers, so sparrows may be the most familiar of all wild birds. They are primarily seed-eaters, though they also consume small insects. Some species scavenge for food around cities and, like gulls or Rock Doves, will happily eat virtually anything in small quantities.”

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser mahali) ©WikiC

“Generally, sparrows are small, plump, brown-grey birds with short tails and stubby, powerful beaks. The differences between sparrow species can be subtle. Members of this family range in size from the Chestnut Sparrow (Passer eminibey), at 11.4 cm (4.5 in) and 13.4 grams (0.47 oz), to the Parrot-billed Sparrow (Passer gongonensis), at 18 cm (7.1 in) and 42 grams (1.5 oz). Sparrows are physically similar to other seed-eating birds, such as finches, but have a vestigial dorsal outer primary feather and an extra bone in the tongue. This bone, the preglossale, helps stiffen the tongue when holding seeds. Other helps towards eating seeds are specialized bills and elongated and specialized alimentary canals.” (Wikipedia with editing)

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Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7 KJV)

I know this hymn “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” has been used before, but this family of sparrows cannot be present without it being played. Forgive the repetition. :)