License: Public domain
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Description: Two House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), a male and a female, feed from my left hand as I sit on a bench at Albert Park, Auckland. A second male is in flight at the top of the image. They are feeding on oatmeal, while other House Sparrows and a Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) stand on the ground below them. Sparrows and pigeons are the most friendly birds at the park, though others like Mynas or Blackbirds will also take food if it’s on offer. It’s not common for a House Sparrow to fly up and eat out of your hand in my experience, but they were doing it at this time and place quite reliably. A female was even making very regular trips to collect oats and then feed her begging offspring.