Sparrows are national second-class protected animals. Sparrows were listed in the list of national key protected terrestrial wild animals on August 1 2000, and cannot be traded freely. Therefore, it is illegal to sell, hunt and buy sparrows illegally.

The State Forestry Administration and the Ministry of Public Security promulgated the Standards for Jurisdiction and Filing of Criminal Cases of Forest and Terrestrial Wild Animals, which stipulates that:

1. Anyone who illegally hunts more than 20 kinds of terrestrial wild animals in a game reserve or during a game ban, or uses prohibited tools and methods, shall be put on file.

2. More than 50 cases are major cases;

3, 100 or above or with other bad circumstances is regarded as a particularly serious case.