Distribution: This species is native to Eurasia, but has been introduced to the New World and is now spreading on its own. Records for this species indicate that it is now established in towns and cities in western and central Panama. Natural History Notes: Since the House Sparrow has been introduced throughout the world, some negative effects have been noted on native small bird populations, because this bird is fairly aggressive and tends to move in groups. Its diet consists mainly of insects and seeds, but can also feed on flowers (aconites). Conservation status according to IUCN 2008 Red list: Least Concern (LC). Characteristics: This species has a total length of 15.2 cm measured from tip of bill to end of tail). This bird has a heavy short black bill. The male is characterized by a gray crown, a chestnut colored nape, white cheeks and the sides of the neck also colored white. Also, the male shows a black patch on the throat and the chest. Otherwise, the plumage above is mostly brown with black stripes and a single white band on the wings. The part below is whitish. The female looks similar but has a draber plumage. The part above is gray brown with a white stripe above the eye, and dark gray stripes along the back. The female also has a single white band on the wing and the part below is also whitish.