4th FEBRUARY - WHICH BIRDS ARE IN YOUR GARDEN?

Well recently I was just chilling in the garden and spotted up to 6 or 7 Sparrows that came to perch on this one small tree we have in the garden! Probably because their food had run out, but they are prevalent and thought I should try to find out a bit more about them. I have already realised that sparrows have a tendency to congregate, thus seeing so many at one time!

So - Sparrows -

The House sparrow is an endearing, friendly little garden bird whose almost consistent year-round presence is always welcome. However, despite its notoriety as being one of the most sociable and gregarious birds in existence, it’s an understatement to say the sparrow has had a very tough time throughout history.

Purging, culling and murdering are three of the most commonly used words associated with the House sparrow. And it doesn’t stop there. From culture to culture, the sparrow has been relegated to lechery, over-promiscuity and commonality; even the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph (G37), which uses the sparrow as a determinative ideogram, means “badness”, small and narrow. And our own literary geniuses, Shakespeare and Chaucer, had a bone to pick with House sparrows, calling them lecherous creatures.

Despite all ancient, and relatively recent, attempts to remove the House sparrow, it’s clearly a stubborn little bird, as in 2016 it was voted the most commonly observed garden bird in the UK, according to the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. This is at the tail-end of years of decline, which, from the peak of the 1970s, saw the population of Passer domesticus reduce by up to 71%.

Hopefully, times have changed.

Brown, of muted colour, and incredibly humble, House sparrows have managed to colonise the vast majority of the world. They are, without doubt, fantastic opportunists, and the fact that they eat almost anything gives them a great advantage when feeding in the garden.

For those few who wouldn’t be able to recognise a Sparrow, watch out for a bird with a chestnut brown back, white underparts and a grey crown. They have a tendency to congregate, hence the use of Sparrow colony nesting boxes, so look for them in groups in your garden.

The voice isn’t particularly distinct, with a continuous, relatively incessant collection of cheeps and chirps.

It’s no lie that House sparrows are probably the most promiscuous garden birds in the UK. They live in colonies in cracks and crevices, although colony boxes can be used; and generally their nests are an untidy affair, sometimes made with a structure of rubbish such as paper, straw and string. Breeding typically begins in May, starting with the first of three clutches, each of which consists of between 3 – 5 eggs. The incubation period lasts between 11 – 14 days, after which the birds will enter their 11 – 16 day fledgling period.

10 interesting House sparrow facts

1. House sparrows have been associated with humans as far back as 10,000 years.

2. House sparrows have been kept as pets throughout history, despite their lack of colourful plumage or attractive songs

3. Early 20th century saw the formation of Sparrow Clubs responsible for the culling of many millions of birds and eggs, in an attempt to control numbers of the perceived pest

4. Domino Day (2005) saw a Sparrow sneak into the Frisian Expo Centre in Leeuwarden during preparations for Domino Day, and knock over more than 32,000 dominoes. This specific sparrow became known as the domino sparrow (dominomus)

5. The House sparrow is frequently used to represent the vulgar, lewd and uncouth

6. There’s a hymn about the House sparrow “His eye is on the Sparrow”.

7. The actual cause of decline is still a mystery

8. The House sparrow used to be Britain’s most common bird between 1994 and 2000

9. House sparrows aggressively defend their nest holes

10. The oldest wild House sparrow lived for nearly two decades