• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

House Sparrows (1 Viewer)

nippie

nippie

Member
I keep hearing that house sparrows are on the decline. Well I am thinking of putting the ones in my garden on the pill :-O
We have had 3 broods in the nest box that have all hatched and fledged successfully and the garden is alive with sparrows.
I have a large Bay tree that they love. This afternoon so many flew in there that I wasn't really able to count them but I reckon there were over a dozen all in one flock.
 
I feel your pain! I started out with a small group of 6 and now they have tripled in amount. Seems like there might be a sparrow gang war going on as well. Seems like the new batch is always fighting with the group that's been coming to my feeder for a while. It's kind of funny to watch... One set flies in from the left side of the yard and the next group comes in from the pine tree on the right and it's a squabble at the feeder in the middle. Then the cardinals come in and chase them all off.
 
You should see the house sparrows here. On most days I can count anywhere from 25 to 100 of them in the trees waiting for me to be motionless on my back porch, or waiting for me to fill the feeders, and once I do, they are on the ground, on my feeders and draining me of seed. There are so many of them in this city that you can watch them come in droves to a feeder or around one. If Im outside, they sit in the trees chattering until I'm quite still or they are apparently comfortable with me, them, boom, its like NYC of birds at a buffet.

They are quite fun to watch vying for the optimal seed position.
 
They certainly were on the decline in the UK from the 1990s onwards and I noticed a decline in the Paris area since coming here in 2001. But the last year or two seems to have brought better numbers locally, which suggests the populations might be recovering. It would be interesting to hear from others in the UK whether they have noticed an improvement in numbers. From the previous posts there doesn't seem to have been a problem in North America!

David
 
I think House Sparrows are either in your area or not - and once they're back, they're back with a vengeance. In the late 80s they declined drastically back to certain population centers and then expanded slowly but surely since. I had none in my garden until 3 years ago, now they're the commonest bird.

I don't think the same decline happened in the US from what people are saying.
 
I think pianoman is right, either there are abundant sparrows in the area or they are not there. We have the same phenomena here in Germany. In the last years I have seen only a few house sparrows but this year, when we feed the birds all year round there are so many sparrows I haven't seen for many years! Even tree sparrows are there and breed successful.

Ruth
 
Last year my back garden had 8 Sparrow regulars... now there are 14, who descend as a flock and noisily eat their way through whatever has escaped the Pigeons. Mind you, unlike the Pigeons, the Sparrows are good fun and likeable. This morning there was one lone Blue Tit among them, which stood out as very BLUE, plus the usual solitary Robin to whom I was able to throw a nice fresh wriggling worm, which he accepted with alacrity. There is something very plucky and cute about Robins; it's as if they can read your mind and are quite fearless. They are such quiet 'loners', in contrast with all those gregarious Sparrows who are constantly fluttering and chattering. Nature in all its variety...
 
I have a healthy population of House Sparrows in my garden of around about a group of 15, there are plenty of feeders in my garden so they don't squabble over with the other birds such as greenfinches, goldfinches, blue tits, coal tits and great tits so all are happy and just as messy as the other birds
 
Getting more House Sparrows in my garden than ever before. Into the Hawthorn Tree first then to the feeders. Having to fill up the mixed seed feeder everyday, never had to do that before.
 
I'm the same. Had no sparrows for ages, then I moved a feeder to a better spot and keep filling it with no grow feeder seed. There is now a flock of about 50 sparrows hanging out in a bush in the corner of my garden near the feeder. It's great! So certainly on the increase in my garden!
 
I loathe House Sparrows so much. Ah, the sparrow that isn't a sparrow. They eat all my birdseed. We must have at least 20-30 at my house. It seems like nothing will stop these ravenous birds. When I took away the types of seeds they liked, they simply adapted to eating other types. Seriously, they've adapted to eating Nyjer and Safflower; seeds that everyone tells me they don't eat. They drive me crazy, scaring all my precious Goldfinches and Song Sparrows away.
 
Hi ZZ,
I share your sentiments regarding House Sparrows entirely. I'd gladly send them all back home to England.
The only feeder fix that worked for me was to use tubular feeders hung upside down, so the perches were above the seed openings. Goldfinches, siskins, nuthatches etc can easily hang upside down from the perches and feed, sparrows cannot.
Admittedly, that fix also zaps your Song Sparrows, so it may be too high a price to pay. My feeders were never ever graced by a Song Sparrow visit, so you have something pretty special going. Maybe just put in more feeders?
 
I would gladly put in more feeders, but I have to use my money to buy them, as well as seed. Since I'm still a 15 year old and only work weekends, I don't want to be spending my entire pay check on birdseed. But I'll have to try handing it upside down. That sounds like an interesting fix. And you don't have to worry about the Song Sparrows; they feed mainly on see that has fallen on the ground, so if they do catch a House Sparrow free break, they'll be able grab the seed off the ground. Anyways, thanks for the advice! I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 14 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

Leafbringer
Questions about House Sparrows in UK
Replies
7
Views
863
paddyluke
paddyluke
Y
Last starling chick
Replies
9
Views
393
Yanky64
Y
1
Bluebird nest box and fending off house sparrows
Replies
0
Views
396
1940LaSalle
1
M
Got him!
Replies
4
Views
627
KC Foggin
KC Foggin
A
Robin nesting in my wall basket of strawberry plants
Replies
8
Views
746
tmmarlar
T

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top