Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks October · Snowfinches and Old World Sparrows · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Tree Sparrow has been recorded in 1,568 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (53%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in October.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 100% or more of visits
- High
- 12% to 100%
- Moderate
- 3% to 12%
- Low
- under 3%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 75% | 3% | Very high |
| February | 73% | 3% | Very high |
| March | 72% | 3% | Very high |
| April | 72% | 3% | Very high |
| May | 80% | 3% | Very high |
| June | 79% | 3% | Very high |
| July | 78% | 3% | Very high |
| August | 56% | 2% | Very high |
| September | 68% | 2% | Low |
| October | 100% | 3% | Very high |
| November | 70% | 2% | High |
| December | 63% | 2% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in October
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| D03 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HU41 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HU43 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HU44 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| J56 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J58 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J64 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| NH54 | Highland, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NH92 | Highland, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NH95 | Highland, Scotland | 100% | Very high |