House sparrows, also known as Passer domesticus, are a common bird that can be found in most parts of the world. These small brown and grey birds are very adaptable and live near humans, especially in cities and on farms. But can these seemingly wild birds be tamed?
Quick Answers
Yes, house sparrows can be tamed, especially if done from a young age. However, even adult sparrows may become accustomed to humans over time with regular feeding and contact. Taming a house sparrow takes time and patience.
Why Tame a House Sparrow?
There are a few reasons why someone may want to tame a house sparrow:
- Companionship – Tamed sparrows can provide enjoyment as feathered friends.
- Education – Taming a sparrow can allow observation of their behaviors up close.
- Unusual pets – Sparrows are an uncommon domestic bird to keep.
However, there are also downsides to consider before attempting to tame a house sparrow:
- Legality – In some areas it is illegal to keep native wild birds as pets.
- Commitment – Sparrows can live 5-10 years, requiring long-term care.
- Risks – Tamed sparrows may escape or introduce disease to native birds if released.
Check your local laws and research proper sparrow care before attempting to tame one.
Can You Tame an Adult House Sparrow?
It is much easier to tame a young house sparrow, ideally one that has fallen from the nest or been abandoned. But even adult sparrows may be tamed over time with consistency and patience. Here are some tips for befriending adult sparrows:
- Set up bird feeders and bird baths where they frequent and let them become accustomed to your presence.
- Move slowly and talk softly when first interacting with sparrows.
- Offer them preferred foods like millet and live mealworms by hand once they seem comfortable.
- Let the sparrows eat out of your hand but do not grab or restrict them.
- Sit quietly and allow the sparrows to come to you. Avoid sudden movements.
- Continue providing food daily until the sparrows allow physical contact.
With regular gentle interaction and food rewards, even adult house sparrows may become quite tame over time. But it requires patience and care not to startle the wary birds.
How to Care for a Tame House Sparrow
Caring for a tamed house sparrow requires proper housing, diet, general care, and precautions:
Housing
- A cage at least 18 inches per side for one sparrow.
- Perches of different sizes and textures.
- Accessible food and water cups.
- Nesting box for sleeping and breeding.
- Toys like swings and mirrors.
- Areas for bathing and cover.
Diet
- Fortified finch or canary seed mixes.
- Live mealworms, crickets, grasshoppers daily.
- Sprouted or soaked seeds, fruits, veggies.
- Calcium supplements.
- Clean drinking water always available.
General Care
- Daily feeding and water changes.
- Weekly thorough cage cleaning.
- Nail trimming as needed.
- Social interaction and supervised out-of-cage time.
- Regular vet checkups.
- Watching for signs of illness.
Precautions
- Preventing escape when out of the cage.
- Avoiding drafts, toxins, and temperature extremes.
- Not allowing contact with wild birds to prevent disease transmission.
- Being careful with interactions as sparrows can bite.
- Keeping cat and dog interactions supervised.
With the proper environment, diet, care, and precautions, a tamed house sparrow can potentially live 5-10 years in captivity.
Should House Sparrows Be Kept as Pets?
There are a few factors to consider before deciding to tame a house sparrow as a pet:
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Ultimately the decision to tame a house sparrow depends on your ability to properly care for their complex needs. For most, simply feeding wild sparrows in their backyard may be a better alternative to attempting to tame them.
Potential Risks of Taming House Sparrows
While taming a house sparrow may seem appealing, there are also some potential risks involved:
- Stress – Being held captive can be stressful for a wild bird.
- Injury – Sparrows can bite and their fragile bones may break if handled roughly.
- Disease – Sparrows are prone to avian malaria, parasites, and other diseases in captivity.
- Legality – Native wildlife laws often prohibit keeping wild sparrows as pets.
- Release – Tamed sparrows likely cannot survive if released and may transmit diseases.
These risks need to be seriously considered before attempting to tame a wild house sparrow. Their complex social, mental, and physical needs are difficult to meet in captivity compared to domesticated pet bird breeds.
Taming a House Sparrow Step-by-Step
If legally allowed in your area, here is a step-by-step guide to taming a young house sparrow:
- Acquire an orphaned nestling sparrow no more than 3 weeks old, ideally younger.
- Set up a brooder with soft bedding kept at 85-90°F for the chick.
- Hand feed commercial bird hand-feeding formula every 1-2 hours.
- Provide housing with perches, toys, food and water when fledged.
- Sit by the cage and offer treats by hand multiple times a day.
- After a week, start leaving the cage door open for short supervised sessions.
- Work up to letting the sparrow fly freely indoors as it becomes more tame over time.
- Continue providing food rewards and social interaction daily to reinforce tameness.
This frequent handling and close contact from a very young age will allow the sparrow to imprint on humans and become comfortable around people as it matures.
Training a Tame House Sparrow
In addition to befriending them, tame house sparrows can be trained to do some simple behaviors:
Step-up
Place finger below chest and say “step up” to train sparrow to perch on finger when outside cage.
Target training
Use a stick to touch their beak then reward to train them to touch the target stick on cue.
Come when called
Use a whistle and rewards to train the sparrow to fly over when called.
Talking
House sparrows can potentially learn to mimic basic words or sounds with regular repetition and rewards.
Tricks
With persistence, tame sparrows may be able to learn tricks like waving, spinning, fetching small items, or going through tunnels or hoops.
Positive reinforcement with favorite foods is key to successfully training house sparrows. Patience will be required as their small size limits what stunts they can perform compared to parrots for example. But their intelligence does allow them to learn simple behaviors with time.
Signs of a Tame House Sparrow
You can tell a house sparrow has been successfully tamed if it shows these behaviors:
- Allows handling without struggling
- Perches calmly on finger when placed
- Eats from human hand without fear
- Flies over when name is called
- Makes direct eye contact and interacts
- Becomes vocal when communicating
- Follows known tricks or commands
- Seeks out human interaction and company
A tame sparrow will be comfortable perching, feeding, and interacting with their human owner. They may even become possessive or territorial and attack hands going into their cage. This demonstrates they see that space as their home and you as part of their flock.
Conclusion
House sparrows are intelligent and social birds that can potentially form close bonds with humans who put in the time and effort to tame them. But their complex needs, potential legal restrictions, and high demands as pets mean they are not suitable for everyone. For most people, simply feeding wild sparrows in their yard may be a better compromise than attempting to tame them. But for experienced bird owners able to properly care for them, a tame house sparrow can be an enjoyable and unique companion.
