Thursday Birdblogging
The humblest bird there is, such a sweet thing.
Cool Facts
* The House Sparrow was introduced into Brooklyn, New York, in 1851. By 1900 it had spread to the Rocky Mountains. Its spread throughout the West was aided by additional introductions in San Francisco, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
* The House Sparrow has been present in North America long enough for evolution to have influenced their morphology. Populations in the north are larger than those in the south, as is generally true for native species (a relationship known as Bergman's Rule).
* Although not a water bird, the House Sparrow can swim if it needs to, such as to escape a predator. Sparrows caught in a trap over a water dish tried to escape by diving into the water and swimming underwater from one part of the trap to another.
* The House Sparrow is a frequent dust bather. It throws soil and dust over its body feathers, just as if it were bathing with water.
Labels: Birding
posted by Ruth at 1:00 PM
2 Comments:
"sweet"? maybe not so much ...
House Sparrows kill adult bluebirds and other native cavity nesters and their young, smash their eggs, and take over their nesting sites,[10] and as such are major factors in the decline of bluebirds and other native cavity nesters in North America.[11]
Because the House Sparrow is smaller than the less aggressive native birds with which it competes, it is impossible to keep them out of nest boxes built for many native birds. Attempts to counter the effects of the House Sparrow on native bird populations include the trapping and shooting of adults and the destruction of their nests and eggs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Sparrow#House_Sparrows_in_North_America
i looked them up in wikipedia because your post only indicated that they were "introduced" to the united states in 1851, i was curious from whence they came, and why. they are, it seems, tiny wolves in sheep's clothing.
That's sad. I never thought of them as aggressive. Thanks for telling me.
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