-
 House
Sparrows are extremely adaptable. They have been found living in
Death Valley, CA at 280 feet below sea level and in the Colorado
Rocky Mountains at altitudes over 10,000 feet. Quite remarkably,
House Sparrows are also known to live and breed in a Yorkshire,
England coal mine, being fed by the miners over 700’ below ground
level.
- The House Sparrow was introduced
from England to North America in Brooklyn, NY during the fall of
1851.
- Only 200 years ago, there were no
house sparrows on the entire continent of North America. Today, it
is estimated that there are over 150 million.
- Originally native to Eurasia and
North Africa, House Sparrows have successfully followed man to all
of the world’s continents except Antarctica.
- House Sparrows rarely occur very far
from humans and our structures. A sparse House Sparrow population
usually indicates a sparse human population too.
- House Sparrow populations are in a
widespread decline over much of Western Europe. London's sparrow
population has dropped by sixty percent during the past six years.
Possible explanations for the decline include modern agricultural
practices that leave less waste grain in the fields and the
increased use of pesticides in urban gardens.
- To move around on the ground, House
Sparrows usually hop instead of walk. Walking is rarely observed and
then only by older individuals.
- The House Sparrow can swim when it
needs to for survival. They have even been observed swimming
underwater when threatened.
- While the longevity record for a
House Sparrow is over 13 years old, the survival rate for the young
of each year is less than 25%. Over 40% of all adult House Sparrows
die each year.
- The House Sparrow is one of only
three birds not protected by the United States government. The
European Starling and the pigeon are the other two.
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