(Eurasian) Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

The Tree Sparrow, called Eurasian Tree Sparrow in the Americas, occurs from Western Europe through to Far East Asia. Photos above were taken by Alexandra Makhnina in Kazakhstan

It has an all chestnut brown "hairstyle" plus a white collar and a distinctive black cheek patch. Unusually for sparrows, the male and female have similar plumage. A shy rural bird in the UK, it is a gregarious urban bird like the House Sparrow in parts of Europe, Asia (native) and Australasia (introduced).

These photos of a pair of Tree Sparrows building their nest in a pipe were taken by Alexandra Makhnina. The similar plumage of the male and the female, unlike House Sparrows, can be seen.