The House Sparrow
has been in long-term decline in the UK and numbers declined sharply in
2006 but are now making a steady recovery. The sudden drop coincided with a
large outbreak of trichomonosis in Greenfinches and Chaffinches. Trichomonosis
might also have had an impact on House Sparrows.
The good news is
that House Sparrows are approaching a six-year high in gardens in the UK.
House
Sparrow
The House
Sparrow - Passer domesticus - is found in most parts of the world. It
occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region and much of Asia. Its intentional or accidental introductions too
many regions, including parts of Australia,
Africa, and the Americas,
make it the most widely distributed wild bird. They are strongly associated
with human habitations, and can live in urban or rural settings.
Description
The male has a
dark grey crown and chestnut brown on the sides of its head. It has black
around its bill, on its throat, and on the spaces between its bill and eyes. It
has a small white stripe between the lores and crown and small white spots
immediately behind the eyes, with black patches below and above them. The
underparts are pale grey or white, as are the cheeks, ear coverts and stripes
at the base of the head. The upper back and mantle are a warm brown, with broad
black streaks, while the lower back, rump and uppertail coverts are greyish-brown.
The female has no black on head or throat, nor a grey crown, and its upperparts
are streaked with brown. The juvenile is similar to the female but deeper
brown, and the white is replaced by buff; its beak is pink to dull yellow.
Call
The contact call is a chirrup, tschilp, or Philip. The male also makes a "chur-chur-r-r-it-it-it-it"
call as does the female during the breeding season. The alarm call is a basic
sound, which is transcribed as quer, and it gives a shrill chree
call in great distress.
Food
It eats a variety
of different food, including seeds, nectar, fruit and invertebrates, using a
wide range of foraging techniques.
Breeding
The timing of the
House Sparrow's breeding season varies between locations and years and may
depend on the availability of insects, needed for egg formation and feeding
nestlings.It is monogamous with a life-long pair bond, usually nesting solitarily
in southern Africa, even though it is colonial breeder in Europe.
The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a ball-shaped structure with an
entrance on the side or on the top, usually made of grass, feathers, wool and
other soft material. It is typically placed in a building, such as in a hole,
under eaves or in a thatched roof, but it may also use an old palm tree or the
nest of a swallow. The egg-laying season is year-round, peaking from September
to December. Copulation is typically initiated by the female giving a soft dee-dee-dee
call to the male. Pairs copulate frequently and the male mounts the female
repeatedly. The female lays 1 to 6 eggs, which are mainly incubated by the
female for between 11 to 14 days. The chicks are brooded and fed by both
parents, leaving the nest after 14 to 22 days and becoming fully independent
about two weeks later.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
The House Sparrow
has an extremely large range and population, and is not seriously threatened by
human activities. However, populations have been declining in certain parts of
the world. In the UK
populations peaked in the early 1970s, but have since declined by 68% overall.
Birdwatching
Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures
to create a tour for you or book on one of the following Aves Birding Tour/Safaris/Adventures see these Sparrows: -
Aves Arid Birding
Tour/Safari/Adventure.
Aves Eastern Cape
Birding Tour / Safari /Adventure.
Aves Highlands /
Tembe Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Western Cape
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves West Coast
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.