I know there a feral pest and I often wonder what would be flying around my back yard if they weren't here but I still think there cute in their own way and sometimes just sit and watch them
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I think they are rather cute . Is the one in your photo a House Sparrow? I looked up the difference and would say it's a male almost in breeding colours. What do you think?
I haven't seen any around where I live, the only ones I've found hang around the nearest shops in Berwick about 20km from my place.
M-L
'Sparrow by Sparrow' - i like that !
They are cute little birds. Nice photo!
I'm not so sure the sparrows are eliminating native birds, sparrow.
As their name suggests they are highly commensal with humans and largely dependant on human habitats and activity. I've only seen them feed on human food scraps, bird seed and exotic weed seeds.
I suspect that even if they were to disappear the native birds would not show up because the urban environment consisting largely of exotic vegetation would be unsuited, thus the sparrows inhabit a niche which would otherwise be bereft of birds.
Perhaps a mass inititative towards enhancing the suburbs with indigenous vegetation would be more conducive to bring back the native birds.
I forgot to say we live on the outskerts of Stawell a small town in SW Vic 10 min from the Grampians NP, and we do get a steady flow of native birds through the yard, since moving here we have replaced most of the plants that were here with natives and the closest reserve is about 200m from the back fence ,the Blue faced and New holland Honeyeaters Spinebills Wattlebirds and Rosellas can stand up to the sparrows so are here most of the time or in the old orchard next door but the smaller less aggressive birds like Wrens Thornbills Silvereyes and the like just pass through ,I would like them to hang around a bit more but the sparrows soon see them off, maybe when the native plants get more established it will give them a bit more cover plus the boss has given her approval for a row of larger bottlebrushes or smaller flowering gums along the back this should help draw some of the birds from the reserve to feed in our yard ,thats the plan anyway we will have to wait and see that happens .
A chap asked me a couple of weeks ago "How long since you've seen a sparrow"? I realised we don't see them at all any more in Sydney. I haven't seen one for years.
The Melbourne House Sparrow population has also (to my unscientific assessment) plummeted in recent years. They used to be common in my area but I haven't seen them in the local streets for many years were flocks of many dozen were once the norm. They have gone from being the commonest bird to not present. Tree Sparrows have also become locally extinct in many Melbourne suburbs.
I note that the House and Tree Sparrow populations in the UK have also declined and disappeared from much of their former ranges.
I've seen a few around the 'burbs in Brisbane, but not many or regularly.
House sparrow numbers here on the s.e. slopes of the Mt Lofty Ranges, SA have plummeted from flocks of several hundred to only about 6 as of yesterday. At the same Red-browed Finches are now permanent residents with as many as 11 being seen (9 yesterday) & 2 Diamond Firetails putting in an 8 month appearance last year. (No sightings so far this year). These 3 species have similar food requirements (grass seeds) so I'm hoping there's a relationship between the type of vegetation (favouring native finches) Ms Woko & I have been planting & the reduction in House Sparrow numbers which seem to prefer exotic plants.