Terry Suchma
05-07-2008, 02:23 PM
HOUSE SPARROWS
by Steve Eno
What is the most abundant songbird in North America? Next time you're driving around town, compare the number of House Sparrows you see to the number of our native songbirds you see. There are estimates that there are twice as many sparrows across the country as all other native songbirds combined -- a really sad statistic considering the house sparrow is not even a native bird of North America.
The House Sparrow, actually the Weaver Finch, which is the subject of all the "sparrow controversy," should not be confused with any of our numerous native sparrows such as the Grasshopper Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, etc. In fact, the House Sparrow and the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, are the only non-native sparrows in North America. So, for the sake of clarity, whenever I refer to the general term "sparrow," I am referring solely to the non-native House Sparrow.
HISTORY
It is thought that the House Sparrow, originated in the Mediterranean and expanded its range into Europe with the growth of civilization. Only at the insistence of man did the House Sparrow make its way across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States. In 1850, green inch-worms were destroying trees in New York City's Central Park. Many people thought that the House Sparrow's main diet back in England consisted of these same green worms and that if sparrows were brought to New York City they would solve the worm problem in Central Park. Others thought the House Sparrow would eliminate crop pests. While others theorized that the House Sparrow would eat grain out of horse manure (which was becoming a bigger problem as the city grew and the number of horses on the city's streets increased), which would help the manure decompose more rapidly. In addition, the new wave of immigrants who were forced out of Europe in the late 1850's because of economic and agricultural failures, missed the little birds they were accustomed to seeing in their native Europe. While it appeared the house sparrow was an easy answer to several problems facing a new society, no one could foresee the damage that would be done to the population of native birds.
The first introduction of the House Sparrow was conducted by the Brooklyn Institute in 1851. Eight pairs were originally released but none were able to survive the change in climate. More attempts were made in New York City and other areas along the New England seaboard, and eventually the birds adopted to our colder climate and multiplied. The house sparrow rapidly spread across the United States. The abundance of spilled grain used for feeding horses and the artificial nesting cavities provided by man helped the sparrow along.
In less than 25 years, the mistake that was made became obvious. An over abundance of house sparrows became a problem in cities and the sparrow caused extensive damage to grain crops and fruit trees. And, with the increased house sparrow population, there was an evident decrease in the number of native songbirds. A well-intended deed of our ancestors quickly turned into a disaster.
LIFE OF A HOUSE SPARROW
In dealing with house sparrows on your bluebird trail or in your backyard, knowing its habits can be helpful. Courtship & Nesting. The male house sparrow's bond with his nest site is stronger than the bond with his chosen mate -- he may lose a mate, but he won't give up his nest site. He can claim a nest site as early as winter and his courtship (attracting a female to his chosen site) can begin in the winter or early spring. The majority of the nest building is done by the male, but it is not uncommon for the female to help. The majority of house sparrows will select a cavity for nesting, but it is not uncommon for them to nest in trees. The sparrow's nesting territory is the immediate area of its nest site. In the Midwest, house sparrows usually have two or three broods but they can have up to five broods in a more temperate zone. The female will lay three to five white/brown speckled eggs and will incubate the eggs for 12 days. The young sparrows fledge after 15 to 17 days in the nest, and since house sparrows are non-migratory, they never wander too far from their place of birth.
Diet -- Sparrows are a very social bird and tend to flock throughout the most of the year. A flock's range covers 1 1/2 to 2 miles, but they will cover a larger territory if necessary when looking for food. House sparrows are generally attracted to buildings and structures for roosting, nesting, and cover. Feed lots are particularly attractive to sparrows since they provide an ample food source, in addition to nesting areas and shelter.
The house sparrow's main diet consists of grain. If grain is not available, their diet is very broad and adaptable. The parasitic nature of the house sparrow is quite evident as they are avid seekers of garbage tossed out by humans. Can you imagine going to a fast food restaurant, tossing a french fry out in the parking lot and not having a flock of sparrows go after it?
Because the house sparrow is an intelligent bird that has proven to be adaptable to most situations, i.e. nest sites, food, and shelter, it has become the most abundant songbird, not only in our region, but in the world.
DEALING WITH SPARROW PROBLEMS
House sparrows have become a real problem! And if you maintain a bluebird trail or if you enjoy seeing a variety of songbirds in your backyard, they are a problem that must be dealt with. I feel there are two ways to deal with a house sparrow problem. You can either take preventative measures that will discourage sparrows from settling in your area in large numbers ("passive control") OR once you are beset with sparrows, you may have to take more aggressive measures such as trapping and killing house sparrows in order to decrease their numbers ("aggressive control").
PASSIVE CONTROL
The house sparrow is quick to take advantage of any area where its three basic needs -- food, housing, and shelter -- are provided, and will be easily attracted to such an area. If you recognize that the potential for attacking sparrows exists on your bluebird trail or in your backyard, there are preventative measures that can be taken.
Food -- "YOU GET WHAT YOU FEED" are the wise words of BAN member Curt Sommer of New London, Wisconsin.
Hopefully the word is out and most people feeding birds at their feeders are well aware that they should not use cheaper birdseeds consisting mainly of filler grains, such as millet, wheat or cracked corn. These feeds only act as an invitation to undesirable birds such as house sparrows. Most reputable bird stores no longer sell birdseed containing a large percentage of these grains. However, many people continue to buy and feed the cheaper mixes, which they can still get at places like their local grocery store, not knowing what a difference the right birdseed can make.
Even if you do everything "right" when feeding the birds in your yard, you may still have to fight sparrows. You may have a neighbor who uses a cheaper mix and attracts sparrows into your area. I know of an individual who feeds nothing but milo because he gets great joy out of feeding house sparrows. And I learned first hand this past winter that, even though cracked corn draws a great variety of wildlife to our yard, including geese, quail, pheasants, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, skunks and deer, we just can't put it out because it draws in too many sparrows. It took two ground traps and four weeks this spring to reduce the sparrow population so that I could attract bluebirds to my yard. But it was worth the effort -- we now have a pair of bluebirds nesting in the front yard in a box previously staked out by sparrows! Next winter we plan to feed whole corn, hoping sparrows will be less attracted to it.
Other suggestions on feeding birds in your yard to help reduce your number of sparrows include:
•Do not feed bread crumbs or other bakery products. These are favorites of sparrows and starlings. •Feed primarily SUNFLOWER seeds and SAFFLOWER seeds. These are generally preferred by most songbirds while being less preferred by the house sparrow. •Feed SUNFLOWER HEARTS and NIGER in tube feeders and cut the perches down to about 1/4 inch so that the house sparrow can't hang on to them.
Housing -- Sparrows are opportunists that will look for any man-made nook or cranny in which to build their nests. By being aware of this fact, you can take steps to eliminate potential nesting sites.
An unattended Purple Martin house is a sparrow disaster waiting to happen because Martin houses are a favorite nesting site of the house sparrow. On your next drive around town or out in the country, pay attention to the number of run down Martin houses that are filled with sparrow nests. (It's easy to spot the messy sparrow nest sticking out of the house openings). People don't realize the harm they are doing to songbirds in their area by neglecting their Martin houses. Just like unmonitored bluebird boxes, neglected Martin houses, or any unchecked birdhouse in general, should be taken down. Remember, there is an over abundance of house sparrows. Providing nesting sites for house sparrows is only decreasing opportunities for our native songbirds.
Other sparrow nesting sites to watch for in and around your yard or property are:
•Clothes line poles with the end caps off are often used by sparrows. A plug in the hold will eliminate this. •Any type of nook or cranny in any building should be eliminated whenever possible. •Overhangs on a roof without a soffit are often used.
Obviously, no matter how valiant your efforts, you will never be able to stop all of the house sparrows in your area from nesting. But you can take some simple and practical steps to reduce the number of sparrows fledged in your area.
Shelter -- Sparrows tend to flock together throughout most of the season, but even more so in the winter. They generally prefer a large brush pile, pine, spruce or cedar trees for shelter. Of course, you wouldn't, couldn't or shouldn't eliminate this habitat because of the desirability to both you and to other birds and wildlife. If possible, house sparrows using the brush or trees for shelter should be driven away after nightfall which will make them more subject to predation. Also, driving sparrows from their sheltered areas before a blizzard or thunderstorm will subject them to falling prey to hazardous weather conditions. If this sounds cruel, remember that this is a passive control measure which leaves their survival up to them and nature, as opposed to trapping once their numbers are too large to "scare off."
In addition to natural shelter, house sparrows are quick to use man made shelters such as open buildings or garages with openings. To deter sparrows, keep these areas closed whenever possible.
SPARROW CONTROL ON A BLUEBIRD TRAIL
Control of sparrows on a bluebird trail can be classified into two basic categories: PASSIVE (taking preventative measures when placing the bluebird box to deter sparrow use) and AGGRESSIVE (taking measures after the box is in place and sparrows have located it).
(continued first reply)
by Steve Eno
What is the most abundant songbird in North America? Next time you're driving around town, compare the number of House Sparrows you see to the number of our native songbirds you see. There are estimates that there are twice as many sparrows across the country as all other native songbirds combined -- a really sad statistic considering the house sparrow is not even a native bird of North America.
The House Sparrow, actually the Weaver Finch, which is the subject of all the "sparrow controversy," should not be confused with any of our numerous native sparrows such as the Grasshopper Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, etc. In fact, the House Sparrow and the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, are the only non-native sparrows in North America. So, for the sake of clarity, whenever I refer to the general term "sparrow," I am referring solely to the non-native House Sparrow.
HISTORY
It is thought that the House Sparrow, originated in the Mediterranean and expanded its range into Europe with the growth of civilization. Only at the insistence of man did the House Sparrow make its way across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States. In 1850, green inch-worms were destroying trees in New York City's Central Park. Many people thought that the House Sparrow's main diet back in England consisted of these same green worms and that if sparrows were brought to New York City they would solve the worm problem in Central Park. Others thought the House Sparrow would eliminate crop pests. While others theorized that the House Sparrow would eat grain out of horse manure (which was becoming a bigger problem as the city grew and the number of horses on the city's streets increased), which would help the manure decompose more rapidly. In addition, the new wave of immigrants who were forced out of Europe in the late 1850's because of economic and agricultural failures, missed the little birds they were accustomed to seeing in their native Europe. While it appeared the house sparrow was an easy answer to several problems facing a new society, no one could foresee the damage that would be done to the population of native birds.
The first introduction of the House Sparrow was conducted by the Brooklyn Institute in 1851. Eight pairs were originally released but none were able to survive the change in climate. More attempts were made in New York City and other areas along the New England seaboard, and eventually the birds adopted to our colder climate and multiplied. The house sparrow rapidly spread across the United States. The abundance of spilled grain used for feeding horses and the artificial nesting cavities provided by man helped the sparrow along.
In less than 25 years, the mistake that was made became obvious. An over abundance of house sparrows became a problem in cities and the sparrow caused extensive damage to grain crops and fruit trees. And, with the increased house sparrow population, there was an evident decrease in the number of native songbirds. A well-intended deed of our ancestors quickly turned into a disaster.
LIFE OF A HOUSE SPARROW
In dealing with house sparrows on your bluebird trail or in your backyard, knowing its habits can be helpful. Courtship & Nesting. The male house sparrow's bond with his nest site is stronger than the bond with his chosen mate -- he may lose a mate, but he won't give up his nest site. He can claim a nest site as early as winter and his courtship (attracting a female to his chosen site) can begin in the winter or early spring. The majority of the nest building is done by the male, but it is not uncommon for the female to help. The majority of house sparrows will select a cavity for nesting, but it is not uncommon for them to nest in trees. The sparrow's nesting territory is the immediate area of its nest site. In the Midwest, house sparrows usually have two or three broods but they can have up to five broods in a more temperate zone. The female will lay three to five white/brown speckled eggs and will incubate the eggs for 12 days. The young sparrows fledge after 15 to 17 days in the nest, and since house sparrows are non-migratory, they never wander too far from their place of birth.
Diet -- Sparrows are a very social bird and tend to flock throughout the most of the year. A flock's range covers 1 1/2 to 2 miles, but they will cover a larger territory if necessary when looking for food. House sparrows are generally attracted to buildings and structures for roosting, nesting, and cover. Feed lots are particularly attractive to sparrows since they provide an ample food source, in addition to nesting areas and shelter.
The house sparrow's main diet consists of grain. If grain is not available, their diet is very broad and adaptable. The parasitic nature of the house sparrow is quite evident as they are avid seekers of garbage tossed out by humans. Can you imagine going to a fast food restaurant, tossing a french fry out in the parking lot and not having a flock of sparrows go after it?
Because the house sparrow is an intelligent bird that has proven to be adaptable to most situations, i.e. nest sites, food, and shelter, it has become the most abundant songbird, not only in our region, but in the world.
DEALING WITH SPARROW PROBLEMS
House sparrows have become a real problem! And if you maintain a bluebird trail or if you enjoy seeing a variety of songbirds in your backyard, they are a problem that must be dealt with. I feel there are two ways to deal with a house sparrow problem. You can either take preventative measures that will discourage sparrows from settling in your area in large numbers ("passive control") OR once you are beset with sparrows, you may have to take more aggressive measures such as trapping and killing house sparrows in order to decrease their numbers ("aggressive control").
PASSIVE CONTROL
The house sparrow is quick to take advantage of any area where its three basic needs -- food, housing, and shelter -- are provided, and will be easily attracted to such an area. If you recognize that the potential for attacking sparrows exists on your bluebird trail or in your backyard, there are preventative measures that can be taken.
Food -- "YOU GET WHAT YOU FEED" are the wise words of BAN member Curt Sommer of New London, Wisconsin.
Hopefully the word is out and most people feeding birds at their feeders are well aware that they should not use cheaper birdseeds consisting mainly of filler grains, such as millet, wheat or cracked corn. These feeds only act as an invitation to undesirable birds such as house sparrows. Most reputable bird stores no longer sell birdseed containing a large percentage of these grains. However, many people continue to buy and feed the cheaper mixes, which they can still get at places like their local grocery store, not knowing what a difference the right birdseed can make.
Even if you do everything "right" when feeding the birds in your yard, you may still have to fight sparrows. You may have a neighbor who uses a cheaper mix and attracts sparrows into your area. I know of an individual who feeds nothing but milo because he gets great joy out of feeding house sparrows. And I learned first hand this past winter that, even though cracked corn draws a great variety of wildlife to our yard, including geese, quail, pheasants, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, skunks and deer, we just can't put it out because it draws in too many sparrows. It took two ground traps and four weeks this spring to reduce the sparrow population so that I could attract bluebirds to my yard. But it was worth the effort -- we now have a pair of bluebirds nesting in the front yard in a box previously staked out by sparrows! Next winter we plan to feed whole corn, hoping sparrows will be less attracted to it.
Other suggestions on feeding birds in your yard to help reduce your number of sparrows include:
•Do not feed bread crumbs or other bakery products. These are favorites of sparrows and starlings. •Feed primarily SUNFLOWER seeds and SAFFLOWER seeds. These are generally preferred by most songbirds while being less preferred by the house sparrow. •Feed SUNFLOWER HEARTS and NIGER in tube feeders and cut the perches down to about 1/4 inch so that the house sparrow can't hang on to them.
Housing -- Sparrows are opportunists that will look for any man-made nook or cranny in which to build their nests. By being aware of this fact, you can take steps to eliminate potential nesting sites.
An unattended Purple Martin house is a sparrow disaster waiting to happen because Martin houses are a favorite nesting site of the house sparrow. On your next drive around town or out in the country, pay attention to the number of run down Martin houses that are filled with sparrow nests. (It's easy to spot the messy sparrow nest sticking out of the house openings). People don't realize the harm they are doing to songbirds in their area by neglecting their Martin houses. Just like unmonitored bluebird boxes, neglected Martin houses, or any unchecked birdhouse in general, should be taken down. Remember, there is an over abundance of house sparrows. Providing nesting sites for house sparrows is only decreasing opportunities for our native songbirds.
Other sparrow nesting sites to watch for in and around your yard or property are:
•Clothes line poles with the end caps off are often used by sparrows. A plug in the hold will eliminate this. •Any type of nook or cranny in any building should be eliminated whenever possible. •Overhangs on a roof without a soffit are often used.
Obviously, no matter how valiant your efforts, you will never be able to stop all of the house sparrows in your area from nesting. But you can take some simple and practical steps to reduce the number of sparrows fledged in your area.
Shelter -- Sparrows tend to flock together throughout most of the season, but even more so in the winter. They generally prefer a large brush pile, pine, spruce or cedar trees for shelter. Of course, you wouldn't, couldn't or shouldn't eliminate this habitat because of the desirability to both you and to other birds and wildlife. If possible, house sparrows using the brush or trees for shelter should be driven away after nightfall which will make them more subject to predation. Also, driving sparrows from their sheltered areas before a blizzard or thunderstorm will subject them to falling prey to hazardous weather conditions. If this sounds cruel, remember that this is a passive control measure which leaves their survival up to them and nature, as opposed to trapping once their numbers are too large to "scare off."
In addition to natural shelter, house sparrows are quick to use man made shelters such as open buildings or garages with openings. To deter sparrows, keep these areas closed whenever possible.
SPARROW CONTROL ON A BLUEBIRD TRAIL
Control of sparrows on a bluebird trail can be classified into two basic categories: PASSIVE (taking preventative measures when placing the bluebird box to deter sparrow use) and AGGRESSIVE (taking measures after the box is in place and sparrows have located it).
(continued first reply)