The
house, or English sparrow, is not
actually a sparrow at all. In fact, it
is a member of the weaver finch family.
The house sparrow originated in North
Africa and was introduced to the US from
Europe in 1850. It is the most common
bird in the US.
House sparrows are readily identified by
their small and stocky appearances. The
upper parts of their bodies are
reddish-brown and streaked with a brown
color, while their underparts are gray.
Females and young sparrows lack any
distinctive markings; however, males
have black throats, gray crowns, and
chestnut-colored napes.
House sparrows can be quite a nuisance.
In rural areas, they damage poultry and
livestock operations by destroying large
amounts of feed. They can also destroy
building insulation. In the city,
sparrows inhabit parks, city streets,
and zoos. They nest in and around
residential and commercial buildings,
and large flocks will frequently develop
around warehouses, stadiums, and airport
hangers. Around residential structures,
they are pests in gardens and yards,
frequently driving songbirds out of the
area.
Sparrows nest and roost in flocks. All
of their activity, including feeding,
nesting, and roosting, is carried out
within a 1-2 mile radius. As a result,
sparrows will likely re-infest an
eliminated area, even if population
control is temporarily gained.
Sparrows will nest anywhere: in gutters,
roofs, ledges, loading docks, on roof
supports, trees, shrubs, inside
buildings, and within commercial
billboards and electric signs. The nests
themselves are messy in construction and
are made of twigs, grass, paper, and
anything else they can carry. The same
nests are often used over and over
again. Nests that are constructed around
power lines or in electrical substations
can be serious fire hazards.
House sparrows are prolific breeders-- a
few sparrows in the spring can produce a
major infestation by midsummer. The
process of nest-building and egg-laying
begins in March and April in the
northern U.S. and somewhat earlier in
southern states. A female sparrow lays 3
to 9 eggs at a time and they hatch
within 11 to 17 days. After hatching,
the young birds are fledged at 14 days.
Sparrows generally produce five broods
per year, which means lots of new birds.
Sparrows enjoy a varied cuisine, but
their favorite is grain. Additionally,
they like fruit, the buds of some trees
and bushes, dandelion leaves, and
clover. Sparrows typically eat 6 grams
of food daily and feed insects to their
young. In rural areas, sparrows thrive
by feeding in cattle feedlots, dairies,
and hog and poultry farms where food and
shelter are plentiful. In the city, they
depend on people for bread, fat, and
other scraps.
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