Inaccuracies in the history of a well-known introduction: a case study of the Australian House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Samuel C Andrew,Simon C Griffith

doi:10.1186/s40657-016-0044-3

Abstract

Modern ecosystems contain many invasive species as a result of the activity of acclimatisation societies that operated in the second half of the nineteenth century, and these species provide good opportunities for studying invasion biology. However, to gain insight into the ecological and genetic mechanisms that determine the rate of colonization and adaptation to new environments, we need a good understanding of the history of the introduced species, and a knowledge of the source population, timing, and number of individuals introduced is particularly important. However, any inaccuracies in the history of an introduction will affect subsequent assumptions and conclusions. Focusing on a single well-known species, the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), we have documented the introduction into Australia using primary sources (e.g. acclimatisation records and newspaper articles). Our revised history differs in a number of significant ways from previous accounts. Our evidence indicates that the House Sparrow was not solely introduced from source populations in England but also from Germany and most strikingly also from India—with the latter birds belonging to a different race. We also clarify the distinction between the number released and the number of founders, due to pre-release captive breeding programs, as well as identifying inaccuracies in a couple of well-cited sources with respect to the range expansion of the introduced populations. Our work suggests that caution is required for those studying introductions using the key sources of historical information and ideally should review original sources of information to verify the accuracy of published accounts.

Highlights

Introduction into South AustraliaThe first shipment to Adelaide in 1863 of 100 birds had only one surviving sparrow, which was sold at auction as the “only one in the colony” of South Australia in July 1863 (NA 21)
In Australia animals were being introduced by private individuals before the establishment of the acclimatisation societies, and the main rationale given for founding the first acclimatisation society was to provide better support for the already ongoing attempts to introduce animals (Courcy 2003)
We found that important details about the House Sparrow introduction to Australia as often reported in well recognized and widely cited secondary sources, are inaccurate

Summary

Introduction

Introduction into South AustraliaThe first shipment to Adelaide in 1863 of 100 birds had only one surviving sparrow, which was sold at auction as the “only one in the colony” of South Australia in July 1863 (NA 21). In 1865 in a communication to the Acclimatisation Society of New South Wales a Dr Gordon of Murrurundi (in the Upper Hunter Valley) reported releasing three pairs of English sparrows in March of 1865 It is not clear where these birds came from but the nature of his letter makes it clear that they did not come from the Acclimatisation. The record keeping and the reports vary in quality across the different Australian acclimatisation societies and over the years (the history of the acclimatisation societies of South Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland, and Victoria, is dealt with in detail elsewhere: Rolls 1969; Jenkins 1977; Lever 1992; Courcy 2003)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion