Number Of House Sparrows Research Articles

Factors influencing the occurrence of the House Sparrow Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Passeriformes: Passeridae) in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India

The present study aims to understand key factors influencing the House Sparrow population across different habitat scales in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India. Correspondingly, different variables such as changes in habitat composition, sound levels, and density of mobile phone base stations were considered with reference to the occurrence of the House Sparrows across the study area. During the study period (December 2016 to November 2018), the number of House Sparrows was recorded through point count without distance estimate method. Non-parametric tests were employed to assess variations in different variables and their correlation with the presence of House Sparrows, revealing that changes in local habitat composition significantly influence their occurrence. Shrubby vegetation, cowsheds, and old/traditional structures emerged as crucial predictors positively impacting House Sparrow’s presence, particularly in urban areas where suitable habitat patches are scarce due to urbanization and modern lifestyles. The decline in these habitats has significantly impacted House Sparrow populations. To counter this decline, implementing strategies like providing artificial nest sites is being considered. However, it’s crucial to ensure that there are adequate shelter and food resources available to effectively conserve the species.

Numbers of invasive House Sparrows Passer domesticus in a rural landscape of Limpopo province, South Africa

The House Sparrow Passer domesticus is recognised as one of the commonest avian invasive species globally, with its occurrence associated with human existence. However, relatively little on population sizes of this species in rural landscapes has been documented. The study on House Sparrows was conducted in three areas in a rural landscape of Limpopo province, South Africa where it is an invasive, to 1) determine population numbers of the House Sparrow between the years 2014 and 2016, and 2) investigate the interaction between the number of House Sparrows and the number of their active nests. The House Sparrow population numbers showed no significant differences between 2014, 2015 and 2016. The House Sparrow numbers were influenced by the number of active nests in 2014 and 2016. The current study showed that the presence of House Sparrows was not affected by the house type they roosted in, and the number of active nests was not influenced by the house types available in each area. The results also showed that the House Sparrow occurs across a rural landscape with variation in numbers across seasons. The evidence reported provides significant insight into how invasive House Sparrows are well established in rural landscapes around human habitation, and it is recommended that this should be incorporated into the management of such alien invasive birds.

Breeding parameter changes in two syntopic urban Sparrow species with contrasting population trends

The number of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) in urban populations has decreased considerably in recent decades in many parts of Europe, particularly in its western part. In Warsaw (Poland), between the 1970s/1980s and the 2000s a decline of almost 50% was recorded. During the same period, Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus), a species also known to have decreased in western Europe, increased significantly in Warsaw. This paper addresses the changes in breeding parameters of both species between the 1980s and the 2000s, i.e., in the period when their numbers changed significantly. Both species have advanced their breeding periods. Despite that the advancement was more significant in the House Sparrow, it did not appear to influence the number of breeding attempts per year, which increased in the Tree Sparrow. In addition, clutch size increased in the Tree Sparrow but not in the House Sparrow. In both species, the level of egg losses did not change, while the nestlings losses decreased, resulting in higher average brood productivity. The annual breeding productivity increased in both species due to fewer breeding losses, and in the Tree Sparrow due to a high number of broods per season. The results suggest that food availability for sparrow nestlings (likely arhtropod resources) in the urban habitats of Warsaw are sufficient to ensure both sparrow species a high level of breeding success. This contrasts with the conclusions of studies of urban House Sparrow populations in western Europe. the strong improvement in Tree Sparrow breeding productivity may be a factor that has determinen the growth of its population in recent times.

Citizen science in action—Evidence for long-term, region-wide House Sparrow declines in Flanders, Belgium

Urban expansion is detrimental for many species. While the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) initially flourished in the vicinity of men, a decline in House Sparrow numbers has been observed in several European cities during the last decades. A lack of systematic data on the status of this species in the highly urbanized Flanders (Belgium) has been the reason why since 2002, the Flemish population has been called annually to count House Sparrows during the breeding season. Here, we describe the results of the first ten years of sparrow counting. While inhabitants from 99% of the municipalities participated at least once, large differences in numbers of participants were observed among municipalities: the larger the population size, the more people counted sparrows. Results indicated that House Sparrow abundances have been decreasing in Flanders over the past decade. Contrary to several other European regions, the decline appears equally strong in rural and urban areas. However, average numbers of House Sparrows were lower in more densely populated, urban areas, and where less cropland, grassland and parks surrounded the sampling location. House Sparrow abundances also decreased significantly over time at locations where predator pressure increased. These results suggest that the House Sparrow decline in Flanders is due to the ever encroaching urbanization and the reduction of the amount of green space. Furthermore, it shows that data collection by volunteers can be a useful approach to obtain large-scale and long-term data in a relatively easy way, in addition to raising public awareness to the natural environment.

Using citizen science to investigate the role of productivity in House Sparrow Passer domesticus population trends

Capsule Seasonal variation in garden House Sparrow numbers provides a tool to examine overall annual productivity, measuring the combined success of multiple breeding attempts and post-fledging survival.Aims To develop a metric to use British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Garden BirdWatch (GBW) data to measure annual productivity in House Sparrows across regions and habitats exhibiting contrasting population trends.Methods We examine variation in annual productivity by quantifying the height of the seasonal peak of garden House Sparrows relative to pre-breeding numbers. We use BTO Nest Record Scheme (NRS) data to explore the demographic drivers of variation in this metric and relate differences to BTO/Joint Nature Conservation Committee/Royal Society for Protection of Birds Breeding Bird Survey regional population trends.Results GBW annual productivity was similar between rural and urban gardens but was lower in the south and the east of Britain (1.32 fledglings per adult), where populations are declining, than in the north and west where populations are stable (1.37 fledglings per adult). Analysis of NRS data showed similar regional variation in clutch and broods sizes.Conclusion The intensity of effort required to measure breeding success directly through nest monitoring has limited the scale of data collection but these results suggest that Garden BirdWatch (GBW) data can provide a measure of annual productivity across multiple sites. Regional variation in annual productivity (primarily driven by reduced clutch sizes) mirrors population trends, suggesting that reduced breeding success may be influencing House Sparrow population recovery.

Repeatable nest defense behavior in a wild population of Eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) as evidence of personality

Consistent individual differences in behavior, or personality, have been demonstrated in a variety of species other than humans, including mammals, birds, and invertebrates. Behavioral consistency has been shown to affect dispersal, foraging, exploration, and antipredator responses, which may have an impact on parental and offspring survival. Despite increasing research in behavioral consistency, the repeatability of nest defense behavior has rarely been assessed in wild bird populations. Furthermore, previous studies investigating nest defense behavior have utilized laboratory studies or mounted predators to elicit defensive behavior. It is important to assess personality in wild populations to fully understand the fitness consequences of behavioral consistency across natural contexts and to utilize live predators or competitors for accurate assessment of defensive behavior. We used an ecologically relevant, live, invasive, nest site competitor, the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), to elicit nest defense behavior in a wild population of Eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) to determine if nest defense behavior is repeatable within and between years for males and females (males: 2009, N = 17; 2010, N = 18; both years, N = 9. Females: 2009, N = 22; 2010, N = 15; both years, N = 11). We also determined if individual behavior changes as a function of season, parental age, brood size, or the number of house sparrows around the nest site. We found that females demonstrated repeatable behavior both within and between years. Male nest defense behavior was only repeatable in 1 year and was influenced by season in the other year. Parental age, brood size, and the number of house sparrows around the nest site did not affect nest defense behavior. We conclude that Eastern bluebirds demonstrate consistent nest defense behavior, or personality, although males are more plastic than females.

Winter Feeding Patterns in the House Sparrow

station. The weather data were taken from the records of the St. Paul weatlher station. Forty-nine of the House Sparrows were banded with colored bands, and four others lhad natural marks that allowed the identification of 53 individuals. These marked birds showed that the individuals using the feeding station were from several flocks. These flocks were usually composed of from 5 to 15 birds, although larger groups were seen occasionally. The birds apparently traveled considerable distances, as one individual appearing at the feeding station frequently was also observed feeding at a riding stable about 0.9 miles away. So far as was possible, the number of House Sparrows on the feeding station was recorded at 15-minute intervals throughout the day. The first observation of the day was usually made about a half hour before sunrise and the last about a half hour after sunset. Some 3,328 counts

THE HOUSE SPARROW PASSER DOMESTICUS: POPULATION PROBLEMS

Summary.Two problems of House Sparrow populations are examined: the influence of habitat on numbers and the variation in a population of House Sparrows throughout the year. Available data on censuses in Great Britain enable the population to be estimated as 10 millions; censuses from several parts of the bird's range suggest that House Sparrow numbers are correlated with the human population, the ratio being 1: 5. The seasonal variation in composition of a population is estimated from observations over five years on House Sparrows breeding on a group of seventeen houses together with breeding and mortality data obtained from British Trust for Ornithology records. The population reaches a maximum at the end of July when it is slightly less than double that at the beginning of the breeding season. It is considered that numbers are controlled by food supply and the colonial behaviour of the bird.