Wednesday 6 November 2013

Wild Bird Wednesday 69 - House Sparrow

After a long weekend of domestic bliss (and gardening - which is different) I thought I'd go with that most domestic of birds the House Sparrow.

Although not a native bird of Australia it is now widespread up the east coast of its adopted home.  House Sparrows in Australia are only here (as far as I know) because of the hand of homesick colonists  from the UK.  So this bird seems to be very closely tied to humans - as some of the reference books say "commensal with man".  It makes me wonder what kind of habitat it used before it became a "House" sparrow.

Even its scientific name bears witness to its links with humans - Passer domestica, which means the sparrow of the house (more or less).

All of these shots were taken in classic House Sparrow locations - cafes, boat trip booking offices and gardens.

I know that this species has declined markedly in the UK, so although I know they are not in anyway threatened as a species, I still like to see (and hear) a bird that was part of the background noise of my childhood, but which now may be missing from many places.  It also makes me feel a little less guilty about liking a bird which in reality is a bit of a pest here.







So, over to you - click on the link below to join in WBW.  All welcome - and don't worry if your post is not all about birds - as long as it has some bird pictures all are welcome!

48 comments:

  1. That bird is so adorable. He looks so happy and playful. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. Hi Stewart, my population of Housesparrows that lived in the eaves were "booted out" this year by our invasive Bee species the Tree Bee. They are still in the vicinity but rarely come to the garden anymore..... shame.

    Nice that you used this species as your weekly topic... good on you

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  3. i like these little guys and gals and their soft feather patterns. :)

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  4. The House Sparrow are quite numerous in our neighborhood. They can pretty much take over everything. Nice photos!

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  5. We have heaps of these little birds here. I think they are quite beautifully marked! These are terrific shots Stewart!

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  6. They're adorable little birds!

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  7. Wonderful shots Stewart of what I consider a lovely little bird! I too love their coloring and feather patterns.
    My Mom sometimes considers them a pest when there are too many around her feeders and her other birds get pushed away.

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  8. HI Stewart I love to hear Sparoows chatting toone another adn they come to a Holly tree I have everyday to do just that. these are great shots you have on this post.

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  9. He does look busy and happy!!

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  10. I don't think you ever need to worry about the House Sparrow ... they are like the quintessential canary in the mine. If they are gone, so probably are we. We have House Sparrows everywhere here. They are prolificating constantly until the winds are cold and the leaves are gone. The cost of my bird seed is a clear indication of their survival instincts. That said, they are adorable and fun to watch and probably wouldn't be considered pests if they weren't such successful survivors. They do need culling and the hawks do their share of it, but the House Sparrow is here to stay ... as long as we are, I hope :) Great pictures, by the way :)

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  11. Not a favored bird here at all. Thankfully I don't see them here at the house in the woods but when I'm in a built up area they are all over. Very bold to get the crumbs when we eat at an outdoor cafe, too.

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  12. My husband hate sparrows. But I like to think that every bird has its place in the world.

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  13. Amazing photos, Stewart. I have these same sparrows here in my garden. Have a great day. Jo

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  14. Je hebt hem er heel moi opstaan Stewart zijn verendek komt er mooi uit.

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  15. Nothing makes me smile more than a big group of chattering House Sparrows all looking after each other. From Findlay

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  16. Yes, they are common, but you have taken the time to make them seem less so. Lovely portraits of our little feathered friends.

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  17. Great photos of the sparrows. They have only just begun to come into my town.

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  18. I have been tweeting to all my bird blog friends to night to get them to join in on here so I hope they do. from Findlay

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  19. Nice images of the House Sparrows Stewart. Funny thing...they thrive very near our area, but never come into our neighborhood...wonder if there is some secret sign telling them not to enter, that we humans cannot see;)

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  20. Oh I like these!!! It's a good thing to read your positive opening in your blog post today.

    AND! --- I agree with you on what you added in my comments about waiting for people and checking on them. Just have another cup of coffee and they WILL show up.

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  21. I have them in my garden... they nested next door. I really love their chirpy character.

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  22. Great shots but I can't share your soft spot for this pest species! I could appreciate the Tree Sparrow when I visited Japan...

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  23. Hey Stewart, you made me nearly choke on my glass of (Spanish) plonk with the line "domestic bliss (and gardening - which is different)". House Sparrows are really suffering here in the UK, just like many other once common species. It's only on my travels elsewhere that I see them thriving.

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  24. Great photos of these friendly little birds! Europeans brought them to North America, too. Lots of them here.
    Happy Wild Bird Wednesday!
    Lea

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  25. Delightful post and photos, Stewart. Your photos are usually exotic birds that we don't have in the wilds here, and so it was a treat to see our sparrows are the same as yours.

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  26. It surprises me that the house sparrow is in Australia too. Someone brought them to North America too. ;)

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  27. it's a shame they're considered a pest since they're quite nice-looking with their multi-coloured markings and as you say, sound nice. Lovely photos Stewart. The sparrow is not up here, I guess they've been shunted by the bigger species of bullies.

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  28. Stewart, your House Sparrows are beautiful. This non-native bird is a menace here to, it is a threat to the native bluebirds. The House Sparrow seems to be all over the world. Thanks for hosting, have a happy week!

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  29. There are certainly no shortage of them here in the U.S. where they are also non-native. I don't mind them until they show up in great numbers as they often do and take over the feeders. The big problem here is they drive native birds out of nesting sites. Nice photos of these guys! I've always liked the black mask on the males.

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  30. Well, somewhere between the cheerful optimism of Findlay and the realism of Andrea one finds the House Sparrow.

    Love 'em or hate 'em, your photos show their true outward beauty, Stewart!

    Love your quote on domestic bliss and may accidently steal it!

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  31. I enjoy seeing and hearing these photogenic little birds.

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  32. I think as you do Stewart. While they are pesky at times, I'm grateful that they are around me outdoors. They wait for me to feed them every morning. I'm sad for the UK. The House Sparrows aren't the only ones that have disappeared:( over there.

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  33. Beautiful images of the House Sparrow, Stewart!
    My memories of these birds go way back to my childhood. We had a bunch of Sparrow nests under the eaves of our holiday house.

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  34. We have so many different kinds of Sparrows here but we also have the infamous House Sparrow also. Brought over here by maybe the same lonesome Brit. MB

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  35. I know this one well- I was watching a small flock of them yesterday fluttering around the back yard. Great shots!

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  36. Lovely photos of this common guest, Stewart.

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  37. The sparrows were also introduced into the US and are considered a pest by many, but I can't help but like these little birds. They are always a welcome sight in my garden. Lovely series of photos you took there Stewart. I was able to join in this week thankfully.

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  38. Beautiful are your bird photos!
    Greetings, RW & SK

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  39. Vrabce sú asi rozšírené po celom svete. Čítala som, že ich stále ubúda, ale tu u nás ich je stále dosť.

    Sparrows are probably widespread throughout the world. I have read that they are still declining, but here in our country there are still enough.

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  40. Wonderful shots Steewart!!!
    Lovely bird!!!
    Have a nice day!!!
    Dimi...

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  41. They have certainly adapted well to their new environment. Apparently, someone decided the whole world needed them. They are quite prolific, and have learned to survive wherever they are.

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  42. I love the little guys and have posted about them (although they are a bit of a pest in Oregon too)....

    Glad you had a good long-weekend (I used to love those almost more than a vacation back in the olden days when I was still working).

    Future WBW posts in my camera as I write...back soon.

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  43. 10 years ago we had almost a population explosion of house sparrows on the farm, they really likes the wheat we fed the chickens. This year we only have a few. I'm not complaining, just happy we do have a few.

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  44. A very nice collection of bird photos! We have many sparrows here, but they fly away so fast, I don't get to see their pretty details as you've captured. Lovely!

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