Also known as: Tree Sparrow, German Sparrow
The Tree Sparrow (or Eurasian Tree Sparrow in the United States) is a cute little bird with a chestnut crown and black patch on its white cheeks. It is a widespread bird in urban areas throughout Asia, but in Europe it prefers to live in lightly wooded countryside. There is also a small population of about 15,000 birds in North America, primarily around St Louis and parts of Illinois and Iowa. They are descendants from 12 birds imported from Germany and released in 1870 as part of a project to enhance the native North American avifauna.