The Story
I photographed this Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) at the Zhangye National Wetland Park in Zhangye, Gansu, China on March 28, 2018. It has a rich chestnut crown and a black, kidney-shaped patch on each white cheek, and the sexes look alike. In eastern Asia it is the common sparrow of towns and cities, while in Europe it keeps to lightly wooded open country. It feeds mainly on seeds but takes insects and other invertebrates, especially in the breeding season. IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. The wetland park was set up for wetland restoration, wildlife conservation and ecotourism, with reed beds and constructed lakes in its inner area.
I took this with a Pentax K-1 and the HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW, at 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 400. Wetlands like this one are a stopover for migrating birds in the dry Hexi Corridor, and their protection depends on keeping water in the Heihe.
©2018 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) belongs to the family Passeridae (Old World Sparrows) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025). Source: IUCN Red List