House Sparrow colony (1 Viewer)

SemolinaPilchard

Member

• Mar 28, 2009

• #1

We have a lovely little House Sparrow colony at the end of our road and enjoy passing it daily en-route to school. I'm trying to teach my young daughters about birds and they seem to enjoy spotting the sparrows hopping about in the hedges.

One thing I don't know (and wonder if anyone out there does know) is, is there a special name for a sparrow colony? Like Rooks with their 'Rookery'!

Just another one of those pointless trivia questions! I'm a mind full of useless facts! :brains:

 

Brosnabirder

Well-known member

• Mar 28, 2009

• #2

Don't know of a specific name for a House Sparrow colony but look here for a collective name for a flock of House Sparrows. Host or tribe. Neither seem very complimentary. Great website this BTW if you're not aware of it already.
http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob15910.htm

 

SemolinaPilchard

Member

• Mar 28, 2009

• #3

Yes, thanks for the link! I've recently discovered that site and use it quite a bit now! Great site!

 

Steve Dudley

aka The Toadsnatcher

• Mar 28, 2009

• #4

House Sparrows are fascinating birds. Something you might not know that your daughters should find interesting is that House Sparrows, like many of the 'passer' species will nest in other large species nests such as White Storks.

 

mikfoz

It's not a competition. Watch the birdy!

• Mar 29, 2009

• #5

We've had a good number of them in a huge privet across the road now for a few years. It seems one of the males is branching out into a large, dense shrub out in our back garden and gathering a fair number of females. They're great birds and one of the first birds I really became aware of as a small child, myself, along with Starlings. They were a regular feature in our school playground snapping up crumbs and seemed to have no fear of screaming kids. It's nice to hear that your kids are now doing the same.

 

Steve Dudley

aka The Toadsnatcher

• Mar 29, 2009

• #6

House and Tree Sparrows breed in leylandii and privet hedges here (Hunts fens). They both prefer these dense bush/tree natural sites to the many farm buildings and the 20+ nest boxes I erected specifically for the Treeps! You think House Sparrow builds a big sprawling mass until you see what a Tree Sparrow can do!

Sparrows are basically weavers and before we came along and cocked up their natural world, they will have nested in tree cavities and dense bushes/trees building large, sprawling nests (which they still do of course!). Nesting in stork's nest must be just a next step, saves them building the main structure and they just have do a bit of interior decorating and bingo!

 

mikfoz

It's not a competition. Watch the birdy!

• Mar 29, 2009

• #7

Steve Dudley said:

House and Tree Sparrows breed in leylandii and privet hedges here (Hunts fens). They both prefer these dense bush/tree natural sites to the many farm buildings and the 20+ nest boxes I erected specifically for the Treeps! You think House Sparrow builds a big sprawling mass until you see what a Tree Sparrow can do!

Sparrows are basically weavers and before we came along and cocked up their natural world, they will have nested in tree cavities and dense bushes/trees building large, sprawling nests (which they still do of course!). Nesting in stork's nest must be just a next step, saves them building the main structure and they just have do a bit of interior decorating and bingo!

Click to expand...

With the added bonus of having a ruddy great bouncer on top of you to fend off Magpies and so on.

 

SemolinaPilchard

Member

• Mar 29, 2009

• #8

Thanks for the info about nests! The hedge goes quite a way up and we get a good view looking up, seeing the nests silhouetted.
The birds seems to feel quite safe tucked in there too as we pass close by. There's another smaller colony in a hedge on the other side of the road and we enjoy spotting the birds flitting from one side to the other.
Yes, sparrows were one of the first birds that interested me too, back at my parents home in SE London, when food was put out for them, there'd be dozens of sparrows and starlings on the lawn. Nowadays you're lucky if you see a house sparrow in their garden.

 

G

gardenbirder

Member

• Mar 30, 2009

• #9

The collective noun for a group of sparrows can be either A quarrel of sparrows or A ubiquity of sparrows there are others also like crew of sparrows and A flutter of sparrows hope that helps to answer your question.