Good day everyone and welcome back to another instalment from Voiceforwildlife where we aim to educate and entrance fellow wildlife enthusiasts with the best of British nature. Today we will be exploring a small birds which you may remember being a common sight in your gardens when you were young - the House Sparrow.
20 years ago the loud, outgoing House Sparrow was an extremely common sight through the streets of the UK but unfortunately they have faced a sudden decline in the past few years due to unknown causes. Their populations have declined by 60% in highly populated inner cities and have fallen by half in rural areas, giving them a place on the red list of endangered species in the UK. Although there is no conclusive evidence for the reason behind this dramatic decline there are plenty of theories - some being more believable than others. The less scientific blaming the rise of the domestic cat populations and the more believable explaining the decline may be due to improved hygiene in grain stores (once a fast and open food source for these birds).
The food source for the House Sparrow is dependant on their habitat as it is so wide spread across the United Kingdom. Although they have declined substantially, they are still seen regularly in some gardens happily feeding on just about anything you can supply them, including kitchen scraps. Hanging feeders supply a stable amount of high energy seed mixes and tables providing black sunflower seeds (releasing energy) and unsalted peanuts (rich in important oils). Away from dense human populations in rural areas they are largely dependant on wild berries in winter, flower buds in spring and insects the rest of the year, however due to the constantly changing climates these food sources can be delayed or decline causing an unstable lifestyle.
Their nesting sights are mainly man-made nest boxes since natural sights, consisting in crevices of walls and buildings, are being covered due to health and safety laws. These natural nests, if seen, are untidy, cup-shaped contraptions made from an uneven mixture of paper, straw, hair and string providing plenty of insulation. Breeding begins from the beginning of May with three clutches being laid throughout the rest of the year. Each clutch contains 3-5 eggs and both parents will take turns in incubating for around 13 days. Fledging will take place on average 15 days later meanwhile both parents will continuously feed the young throughout.
House Sparrows are slightly larger than a great tit - around 15 centimetres long with a wingspan of around 25cm. The males have a silver-grey cap and chest separated by a pitch black neck 'collar' which extends to the bottom half of the eyes. The top half is covered by a muddy brown That creates a 'bandit mask' around the head with the same shade creating a small arrow down the back. This then extends to a caramel brown with thin black lines being dotted throughout. Females are almost exactly the same in all aspects however all features are much lighter than the males, moreover they are slightly smaller and thinner. Both have a thick, bulky beak with the females being a cream-peach and the males being a dark brown.
So their you have the tiny house sparrow, struggling to survive in today's ever changing world, so next time you see a group of Sparrows in your garden, give them a break and supply them a nest box to provide some light in the dark British nights.
(No credit is taken for the photo)