Differences between Robin and Sparrow

Robin and Sparrow are two classes of birds that belong to the Turdidae and Passeridae families respectively.

Robins are the largest of Thrush species. They are small song birds characterized by their running and stopping habit. The birds have yellow cone-shaped bills that they use for foraging food in the grass. Their legs are grey, thin, and long. The feet are adapted for perching. The birds also have a long tail. Robins have a round body. Their plumage depends on the species. The European Robin is known as the original Robin. It has a grey head, back, and belly. Its wings and tail are brownish grey, while its neck and breast are covered with a bright orange patch. The American Robin belongs to the Thrush family but is not related to the European Robin. It has a black head, greyish black back, and orangish yellow belly and neck. There are about 65 species of Robins across the world.

Sparrows are one of the most commonly found birds in the world. They are petite birds with a round head and small beak that is shaped like a cone. Their plumage is either brown or grey with white streaks. The feather on their belly is usually white. The birds have a long and stiff tail. An interesting fact about Sparrows is that they have a bone in their tongue. As these are perching birds, they have clawed feet with three forward-pointing and one backward-pointing toe. Sparrows are songbirds that make chirping sounds. There are over 140 species of these birds in the world. They are generally classified as Old World species and New World species. Sparrows are mentioned in mythology and the Bible. Their earliest fossils, found in caves in Israel, are dated back to over 100,000 years.

Where are Robin and Sparrow found?

Robins live in deciduous forests, woodlands, grasslands, parks, farms, agricultural lands, and even cities. The American Robins are found in Canada, North America, and parts of Alaska. The European Robins exist in Europe, north Africa, and western Asia.

Sparrows prefer thick forests, open fields, agricultural farms, and fringes of forests. However, a large population of Sparrows also live in the parks, gardens, and buildings of cities. The Old World species of Sparrows originally belong to Asia, Africa, and Europe. The New World species have been introduced in North America, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.

What do Robin and Sparrow eat?

Robins chiefly eat worms and insects. During summer and fall they also eat fruits, berries, seeds, peanuts, and raisins.

Sparrows are omnivores. They largely eat seeds and grains like cereals, wheat, rice, oats, and corn. They also eat insects and worms. Occasionally the birds eat human food refuse.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between Robin and Sparrow

• Neither Robin nor Sparrow eat Fish.
• Robin do not eat Frogs while Sparrow eat Frogs.
• Both Robin and Sparrow eat Lizards.
• Robin do eat Snakes while Sparrow may not eat Snakes.
• Neither Robin nor Sparrow eat Turtles.
• Neither Robin nor Sparrow eat Squirrels.
• Robin and Sparrow do not eat Gophers.
• Both Robin and Sparrow do not eat Baby Ducks.
• Mice are not eaten by both Robin and Sparrow.

Size of Robin and Sparrow?

When it comes to size, The European Robin is 3.3-4.7 inches long with a wingspan of 8-8.5 inches. The American Robin is bigger. It measures 9-11 inches in length and has a wingspan of 12-16 inches.. The size of Sparrows depends on the species. The average size is however 0.5-0.6 feet in length. Chestnut Sparrow is the smallest Sparrow with a length of 0.4 feet, while the Parrot-billed Sparrow is the largest with a length of 0.59 feet.

The European Robin weighs 0.56-0.77 ounces. The average weight of the American Robin is 2.7 ounces. while The average weight of the Sparrow is 0.84 ounce. The weight of the Chestnut Sparrow is 0.5 ounce and that of the Parrot-billed Sparrow is 1.5 ounce.

Where do Robin and Sparrow nest?

Robins build their nests in the crevices of trees, walls, rocks, and buildings. Sometimes, they are also placed in hidden branches of trees and shrubs. The nests are shaped like bowls and typically four to six inches wide. The female Robin chooses the nesting site and also constructs the nest by pressing dried grass, twigs, feathers, paper, and moss with her wings. She lays eggs that are blue, sometimes with brown spots. The female performs the entire incubation duties for about 13 days. The chicks will be fed by both the parents, who also provide them warmth and protection. They fledge when they are about two weeks old but remain dependent on the parents for another two weeks.

Sparrows build their nests in holes and cavities of small trees, in shrubs, and buildings. They prefer their nests to be closer to the ground. The nests generally look spherical and measure eight to 10 inches in diameter. The female and male partners construct the nest using straw, twigs, roots, leaves, grass, paper, thread, wool, and feather. The eggs are completely white, or bluish white, or greenish white with brown spots. Both partners incubate the eggs. The eggs hatch in 10-14 days. The young ones that are fed by both parents fledge in about two weeks.

How long do Robin and Sparrow live?

The average lifespan of Robins is two years. Among the known birds, the oldest European Robin was 11 years and five months old, and the oldest American Robin was 14 years old.

Sparrows are known to live for four to seven years. Some species can even live up to 20 years. The House Sparrows live until 23 years in captivity.

Are Robin or Sparrow migratory birds?

The migration of Robins depends on their location. European Robins living in Ireland and the UK rarely migrate or travel just about five miles in winters. The birds from Scandinavia and Russia relocate to the UK and western Europe. Robins from southern Europe also migrate during winters. American Robins are mostly residents. Some of them from North America and Canada may travel to the USA and Mexico in winters. Robin species in Asia are usually non-migratory.

Not all Sparrows are migratory. The ones from Canada, North America, northern parts of Europe, and east Asia migrate during winters. The House Sparrows typically do not migrate as they do not encounter harsh weather or scarcity of food in any time of the year. Among the migratory species, American Tree Sparrow migrates from North America and Canada to the USA, while the Savannah Sparrow travels from Alaska to the USA. In northern and central Europe, migration takes place among Eurasian Tree Sparrow that relocates to Africa. The Russet Sparrow is a species from Himalayas that spends its time in south-east Asia during winters.

Do Robin and Sparrow fly in flocks?

A group of Robins is known as a round. Robins are friendly and courageous birds that do not get intimidated by humans. They are generally gregarious amongst themselves, except in the breeding season when they prefer to be territorial. They forage and fly in flocks to safeguard themselves from predators.

A group of Sparrows is called a flock. The birds are highly sociable. They live in colonies of about 20 birds, which may even extend to about a 100. The birds are always found in groups, foraging, flying, and roosting together. Their nests are also built next to each other during the breeding season. Sparrows are also intelligent birds. They are known for cooperation and teamwork. The birds work together to find food, build nests, preen feathers, and remove lice and parasites from their skin. They chirp incessantly to let their group know about where they are. As Sparrows are tiny birds, living in large flocks also helps in intimidating the predator and also mobbing the predator if required.

Are Robin or Sparrow protected?

Robins are protected in the USA, Canada, UK, and many parts of Europe and Asia. In these countries, harming or hunting of the birds is a punishable offence.

Not all species of Sparrows are protected. For example, the House Sparrow is not protected in the USA. It has partial protection in the UK, where shooting it with a licence is allowed. The species is fully protected in Canada.

Are Robin or Sparrow endangered?

European Robins as well as American Robins are listed as species of least concern. Robins are largely not threatened. However, a few Robins are marked as endangered. They include Black Robin, Seychelles Robin, and Norfolk Island Robin. Robins are short-lived birds. They also face threats from predators, infant mortality, and migration in winters.

Sparrows are not endangered but their numbers are on a steep decline. Factors affecting the population of Sparrows are loss of habitat, scarcity of food, urbanization, radiation from mobile towers, pollution, use of pesticides in farmlands, and hunting.

Can Robin and Sparrow fly?

Robins are active birds that fly for several hours every day. They fly low while moving around casually in the neighbourhood. For long distance travel and migration, the birds fly higher. Their flight is typically direct and quick. The average flying speed of Robins is 30-36 miles an hour during migration. The birds fly in loose flocks on a daily basis. For migration, they form larger groups, sometimes consisting of tens of thousands of birds.

Sparrows fly by taking off directly, flapping their wings, and folding their legs. Their average flying speed is 24-31 miles an hour. The altitude range they can fly at varies for different species. While most of them normally fly at around 500 feet, some fly at around 2,000 feet. During migration they fly 5,000-20,000 feet high and cover 15-600 miles in a day. Sparrows fly in flocks because they are tiny birds and flying in groups supports energy conservation. It will also help them spot and threaten predators. On the ground, Sparrows are commonly seen hopping. They jump forward and backward for scraping mud, leaves, or grass with their toes and search for food underneath.

Can Robin and Sparrow swim?

Robins are not water birds. They cannot swim but can manage to stay afloat as they have hollow bones. The birds enjoy bathing in water, so they often enter ponds, puddles, and shallow waters.

Sparrows are not regular swimmers. However, they can swim fast to escape from danger. Some species like the House Sparrow can even swim under water. Sparrows regularly bathe in water, sometimes even in a puddle. They wiggle in water to loosen up the dirt on their feathers and to control body temperature.

Mating patterns among Robin and Sparrow

Robins attain sexual maturity when they are about a year old. Most of them start breeding in the spring or summer that follows their hatching. At the start of spring, the male sings loudly to attract the attention of the female. During courtship, both partners perch and sing. Once the pair is formed, the male and female Robins become aggressive to protect their nesting territory and keep a check that they do not lose their partner to another bird. The male fetches food for his partner to make sure that she gains enough weight to lay eggs and incubate them. Robins generally raise two broods a year. Each clutch usually contains about five to six eggs. The female does the incubation duties, while her partner gets food for her and guards the nesting territory. The partners involve equally in feeding and protecting the young ones after the eggs hatch.

Depending on the species, Sparrows start mating when they are five to nine months old. The birds mate in small colonies. During courtship, the male hops around the female with inflated chest, raised tail, and slouched wings. He also chirps and sings for her. The partners copulate until the female can lay eggs. They produce nearly four broods in a breeding season. The female lays one to eight eggs in a clutch. Both partners incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.

When is the mating season for Robin and Sparrow ?

The mating season for Robins occurs during March-July. The birds, however, may start their nesting activities in January.

The mating season for sparrows depends on geography. It can range from March to August. The courtship can begin as early as January.

Do Robin and Sparrow mate for life?

Robins may or may not be monogamous. They usually stay with a single partner during each breeding season. Sometimes, they may also look for different partners in the same breeding season.

Sparrows mate for life. They remain monogamous throughout their life and return to the same nesting territory every year. When one of the partners is lost or dies, the surviving partner finds another mate within a few days.

How do Robin and Sparrow sleep?

Robins mostly sleep on crevices and branches of trees. They choose spots from where they can hear the approaching of predators and from where they can quickly flee. Except for the breeding season, when they sleep at nesting sites, Robins gather in large numbers to roost at night.

Sparrows roost in large groups while perching on trees. They may even shelter inside tree holes and cavities. They draw together to stay warm on cold nights. Their usual sleeping posture is head tucked inside plumped up feathers.

Can Robin and Sparrow be eaten?

Robin meat is edible. It was a cherished delicacy in North America. However, it is no longer eaten in the continent because of conservation rules. Some people in parts of Florida are known to still eat it though. Robin meat is popular in parts of Europe, especially France. Although there are rules against hunting of these birds, killing them for meat is tolerated in some places. The bird’s meat is also consumed in some oriental cuisines of Asia.

Sparrows are widely consumed by people. They are a delicacy in French, Italian, Japanese, and German cuisines. As the law in most countries provide protection only to some species of Sparrows, obtaining the bird meat for food is not restricted.

Can you hunt Robin or Sparrow?

Robins were widely hunted in the past for their meat. Modern conservation laws restrict the killing of these birds. However, despite having protected status, Robins continue to be hunted in many countries.

Sparrows are hunted for their meat. They are considered a pest by farmers, who kill them to save their crops. Hunting Sparrows is allowed in some countries, while killing them with a licence is permitted in few others.

Can you feed Robin or Sparrow?

People commonly offer food for Robins at feeders in their backyard. Robins enjoy mealworms. They also like berries, fruits, peanuts, and seeds.

Sparrows can be fed with a mix of seeds, corn, millets, fruits, and insects.