The Java sparrow is ready for the video recording. As I hold it carefully in my hand in order to transfer it to the recording cage, the little gray bird bites my finger with its thick red bill. Ouch!

It’s easy to lump all sparrow bird types together: “Yep, looks like a sparrow to me.” You can find at least 33 species of native sparrows across the country. And while their plumage won’t sweep you ...