There is a woman who takes pictures of sparrows. She calls them “two-a-penny birds” because in the Bible, Jesus says you can buy two for a penny, yet God is aware when one falls.

A goal of mine should be to recognize more birds, because, sadly, I know only about a dozen. I know a robin when I see one. And a cardinal. And a bluebird. And a chickadee (but only when they cheep their name.) I’d know an owl, if I saw one. And an eagle (unless I confused it with a hawk.) Turkeys and ducks and geese, of course. And crows. And hummingbirds, because of a sugar-water feeder my daughter sticks to our picture window each spring.

I also know, of all things, the scissor-tailed flycatcher. It’s the state bird of Oklahoma, where I grew up.

Years ago when I first moved to Maine, I won a radio contest. Working as a night janitor in an office building, I was listening to music while buffing a floor. The DJ said, “What is the state bird of Oklahoma? The first person to call in with the correct answer, wins a free pizza.”

Not only did I win the pizza, but there were also a myriad of details I could have added. For example, the scissor-tailed flycatcher is a member of the genus Tyrannus, which means king or tyrant. Birds in this genus tend to be extremely aggressive in defending their territories. Scissor-tails can kick the butts of larger birds such as crows, hawks, and owls.

Tyrannosaurus rex doubles up on the king part. Not only does Tyranno mean king; rex does too. But I digress.

There may be two or three other birds I recognize, but I wouldn’t know a sparrow if it pecked me on the head.

Thinking it wouldn’t hurt to expand my avian knowledge by a species, I set myself a goal of  learning seven things about sparrows, which, truth be known, is probably more than I know about any other feathered creature (Except scissor-tailed flycatchers. And velociraptors, thanks to my granddaughter.)

Here’s my list of seven things about sparrows: what they look like, what they eat, what sounds they make, and, uh… Okay, here’s my list of three things about sparrows.

What they look like. Wikipedia provides this description: “The sexes exhibit strong dimorphism: the female is mostly buffish above and below, while the male has boldly colored head markings, a reddish back, and gray underparts.”

This is not helpful. There are times in the summer when I have a boldly colored head, a reddish back, and gray underparts.

What they eat. Wikipedia informed me that “As an adult, the house sparrow mostly feeds on the seeds of grains and weeds, but it is opportunistic and adaptable, and eats whatever foods are available.

This, too, could describe me.

As for the sounds they make, “Most house sparrow vocalizations are variations on its short and frequent chirping call.”

I think I may be a sparrow. Got a penny? You can buy two of me.

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