Aristotle [ca. 350 BCE] (De animalibus, Book 9, 8.5): Some persons say that cock-sparrows only live for one year, considering this as a proof, that early in the spring there are no birds with black beneath the chin; but they have it afterwards, as if none of the former birds had survived. The hen-sparrows have a longer life, for these are taken among the young birds, and are easily known by the hard portion about their bills. - [Cresswell translation, 1887]

Pliny the Elder [1st century CE] (Natural History, Book 10, 52): On the other hand the sparrow, their [doves] equal in salaciousness, has a very small span of life: the cocks are said not to last longer than a year, the proof being that at the beginning of spring no black coloring is seen on their beak, which begins with summer; but the hens have a rather longer span of life. - [Rackham translation]

Isidore of Seville [7th century CE] (Etymologies, Book 12, 7:68): Sparrows [passer] are tiny little birds, named from their smallness [parvitas], whence small things are also called pusilli. - [Barney, Lewis, et. al. translation]

Thomas of Cantimpré [circa 1200-1272 CE] (Liber de natura rerum, Birds 5.106-107): [Birds 5.106] A sparrow is a bird, as he says [i.e. Liber rerum], that likes to live in the roofs of houses or in the walls. Birds of this kind fly in flocks to feed, and their favorite food is the pith of barley. And this is a wonder, that they separate the grain from the chaff with such fineness, that there seems to be an almost no delay between picking and separating. Sometimes, however, when it is in a hurry and wants to swallow the barley with the chaff, it is strangled by the chaff. Sitting on the ground before flying, it strikes the ground with its foot and is then lifted into the air. They are more quickly excited into fury, but there is no delay in discord. As the Experimentator says, sparrows are the warmest of all birds, from which they are stout and inciting to blood, and exceedingly exuberant. Its dung is very hot when it is emitted; but it is quickly chilled. And it signifies those who believe and withdraw in time of temptation. A sparrow quickly digests whatever it swallows. Females are said to live longer than males. Aristotle says that male sparrows live only a year; but females live a long time. This indeed we believe to be true of the sparrows of the East, since among us, who are in Europe, the male sparrows live as long as the female. And this is quite probable, because that blackness, of which Aristotle says, which is on the neck of the male, is not with us, but a certain white spot on the cheeks, marked with blackness, is with us in male sparrows; and these continue alive in winter and summer, like female sparrows. The age of a sparrow is seen in the hardness of its beak, because when a sparrow is young, it has a tender beak and yellow around its mouth; but the old sparrow has a black beak, hard, and is large around the throat. In some parts of the world sparrows suffer from the decaying disease, and this, as Aristotle believes, because they eat the seed of the gorse. When the young sparrows have to fly, the neighboring sparrows along with their own parents accompany the efforts of the young chicks to fly away, so that the weaklings, if necessary, are strengthened by their presence. [Birds 5.107] The reed sparrow [passer arundineus] has this kind of origin: from the adulterous union of philomene [nightingale] and the sparrow, a third species of bird is conceived and nurtured. And the reed sparrow sings more than a sparrow and less than a nightingale; for it has a different song from the nightingale and yet as good. It builds a nest in the clumps of reeds and by remaining in them, gained its name. - [Badke translation/paraphrase]

Bartholomaeus Anglicus [13th century CE] (Liber de proprietatibus rerum, Book12.32): Sparrowes bée small birdes, and bée called Passerci, of Patuitate, littlenesse, as Isid[ore] saith. And the Sparrowe is an unstedfast bird with voice and jangling: and maketh theyr neasts nigh to dwellings and habitations of men. And is a full hot bird and lecherous. And the flesh of them oft taken in meat, exciteth to carnall lust, as Constantine sayth. Sparrowes laye many Egges, and are full busie to bring up their birdes, and to feede them. And she maketh her neast in hay and in fethers, and kéepeth her neast cleane without durt. And therefore shée throweth the durt of her Birdes out of the neast, and compelleth her Birdes to throwe their durt out of the neast; and they féede their Birdes with Spiders,Wormes , and Flyes: and they eate venimous seedes, as of Henbane, without hurt: and they have sometime Leper and the falling evill: and the female liveth longer then the male, and the male is jealous of his wife, & fighteth oft for her, as Aristotle saith: and the sparrow dreadeth the Wéesell, and hateth her, and crieth & warneth if ye wéesell commeth. And waiteth and biteth and billeth for to have the neasts of Swallowes, and they love their owne kinde. And birdes that other Sparrowes leave by some hap, they gather & feed & nourish, as they were theyr owne. And if it happeneth that one of the¯ is taken in a grinne, or in other manner wise, she crieth for help. And a multitude of Sparrowes be gathered togethers to deliver that that is taken, and spéede and hast with all their might. - [Batman]