By Colin Patterson

I obtained a pair of Tree Sparrows from a Dutch friend. I had also been given a pair of Pheo House Sparrows the year before, which I also bred, and the following is the maintenance I use for both.

I placed both pairs in aviaries measuring 2mtrs long, 500cm wide and 2mtrs high.

I feed the Sparrows on a basic Canary mixture, with added sunflower hearts, a Siskin mixture and a few mealworms. I also hung fat balls in the aviary which they would pick at.

I was told by Peer, my Dutch friend, that when the Sparrows had chicks, they would need a great deal of livefood, so I started to feed not only mealworms, but also buffalo worms, crickets, waxmoth lava and what ever else I could find in my garden. I also gave Canary egg food which they only took a little.

Sexing the Tree Sparrow can be difficult sometimes, but i knew my couple were a true breeding pair, as Peer had informed me how to sex them by the colour on the wing butts. chestnut brown on the Cock bird, a dirty grey brown on the Hen bird, and the face marking a bit less on the Hen.

The nesting box was 25cm deep by 15cm square with a 5cm entrance hole near the top. The lid of the nesting box can be removed for inspection purposes.

I supplied nesting material in the form of dry grass, moss and sisal string teased out, and the pair accepted the nesting box and began to fill it at an early stage. By May, they had finished the nest.

The eggs are a grey base colour with black lines and blotches similar to House sparrows.

On the 7th July I checked the box and found a newly hatched chick, so I replaced the lid and got out of the aviary as quick as I could. I started to supply greenfly, blackfly and spiders as well as all the food mentioned earlier, mealworms and buffalo worms, ad lib.

I rung the only chick with a size D ring and then left well alone.

At this point I also started adding eggfood with finely chopped carrot and hard boiled egg. I also supplied soaked seed with added sunflower kernals, hemp and wheat, but this was not taken until the chick was 7 days old.

The chick emerged at 18 days old and resembled a smaller version of the adults, so I had successfully reared my first Tree sparrow.

I went on the next year to rear more from 2 pairs of Tree sparrows and 2 pairs of House sparrows.