A warming climate is expected to increase the prevalence of avian malaria over time, partly due to the range expansion of mosquito vectors. One factor contributing to an animal’s ability to resist parasitic infection is the increase in phagocytic activity of macrophages throughout the body. In the case of infection, animals with increased phagocytic capability are expected to show resistance to malaria infection and this may mitigate negative effects on body condition. However, the energetic costs of phagocytosis may trade-off against body condition. To test for such trade-offs, we conducted in vitro assays of whole blood phagocytic capability in the presence of fluorescent E. coli and S. aureus before and after inoculating captive House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) with malaria (Plasmodium sp.) or control injections. Although sample sizes were small, we found a moderate trend where House Sparrows with increased phagocytic ability of E. coli prior to inoculation were more likely to resist malaria infection compared to conspecifics with reduced phagocytic ability. However, resistant and successfully infected birds did not differ in body condition (mass, fat score, change in blood glucose) at the crisis stage of infection. These preliminary results suggest that phagocytosis does not tradeoff with body condition at the crisis stage of infection.