Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 Western Australia, Series 4
Volume 5
Number 6 June, 1964 Article 7
1-1-1964
The sparrow The sparrow
John L. Long
Follow this and additional works at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4 Part of the Behavior and Ethology Commons, and the Ornithology Commons
Recommended Citation Recommended Citation
Long, John L. (1964) "The sparrow," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol.
5: No. 6, Article 7.
Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol5/iss6/7
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BIRD PESTS
THE SPARROW
By J . L. L O N G , M . D . A . Research Technician, A g r i c u l t u r e Protection Board
SCATTERED widely t h r o u g h o u t the w o r l d , sparrows are a nuisance wherever they have become established.
Two species have been introduced to Australia—the House sparrow (Passer domesticus) and the Tree sparrow (Passer montanus.)
Both are small birds 5 to 5i inches long.
The House sparrow is brown and grey with the crown, nape and lower back slate grey; a chestnut bar on either side of the neck curves around on each side;
the wings are brown with a white wing bar; the throat and upper breast is black;
underparts whitish or greyish; beak, black;
legs, brown. The female lacks both the black and chestnut markings and is more brownish and duller in appearance, with the wing strip less conspicuous.
The Tree sparrow is so similar in appear- ance that many people do not even know of its existence. The crown and nape are chestnut with a triangular black patch on the cheeks and there is a second white wing bar. The sexes are alike.
Albino House sparrows and jet black Tree sparrows have been recorded.
T H E HOUSE SPARROW
(Passer domesticus)
The House sparrow is one of the most widely distributed of all birds, ranging from Europe to Siberia and including Lap- land southward through Britain, France, Spain and eastwards through the Balkans, Russia, Siberia to Mongolia and Man- churia. It has been introduced into many countries of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies,
North America, South America and the Hawaiian Islands. The original range of this sparrow occupied an area of nearly six million square miles, but with extension of this range in the last 100 years by introduction and unassisted spread, has doubled its range and it would now occupy more than one quarter of the earth's surface.
The first importation of sparrows into Australia appears to have been into Vic- toria in the 1850's but these first introduc- tions do not appear to have established themselves and there are no records of their liberation. In 1882 a shipment of sparrows left London for Australia, but all died on the way out. In 1863, 19 sparrows arrived in Victoria and were supposedly liberated by a Mr. George Sprigg. (Perhaps this is why the birds are known to some elderly Victorians as "Spriggies.") Further introductions occurred in 1863 when 80 birds were liberated, and by 1867 a num- ber of reports of their breeding and rearing young were being received.
In 1871 the authorities refused permis- sion for the release of any more sparrows, as people were becoming aware of the dangers of these birds. By this time, how- ever, the damage had been done; the sparrow was established and thriving in its new environment. It has continued to multiply and increase its numbers and has now spread over most of the cultivated areas of eastern and southern Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, South Aus- tralia and southern Queensland) but has
82900—(3) 357
HOUSE SPARROW—MALE
M A L E S P A R R O W — D i s t i n g u i s h e d f r o m female by the chestnut bar on either side of the neck and the black " b i b " under the t h r o a t and on the breast.
358
HOUSE SPARROW—FEMALE
FEMALE SPARROW—Distinguished f r o m male by lack of black and chestnut markings and brownish and duller appearance; wing stripe less conspicous.
359
not penetrated the desert barrier to the west and so is absent from Western Australia.
However, from time to time sparrows appear in Western Australia and birds have been destroyed in 1894, 1927, 1930, 1946, 1957, and 1964. In 1894 some were seen and destroyed at Government Gardens in Perth, in 1927 one was shot at Fremantle, one was destroyed in 1930, one in 1946 and two in 1957. In 1963 a number of sightings were reported from the Fremantle area but no sparrows were actually found until March, 1964, when nine birds were shot near the railway station. In 1917 the sparrow penetrated the border of Western Australia near Eucla and reached Mundrabilla Station (60 miles west). Apparently these birds died out and there have been no further invasions of this type.
TREE SPARROW (Passer montanus)
The Tree sparrow also enjoys a wide distribution extending from Europe to northern Asia, throughout western Europe from the Arctic to the Mediterranean and to northern Siberia and Korea, southward through China to South East Asia. Un- doubtedly its stronghold is in the Asian countries where it supplants the House sparrow as a commensal of man. Like its close relative it has also been widely introduced to new environments such as Australia, Philippines, North America, Pescadore Islands, Lombok, South Celebes and Ambon. It has, however, not multi- plied in new lands as has the house sparrow, nor spread to the same degree.
The introduction of the Tree sparrow to Australia seems shrouded in mystery. It is thought that this bird was probably introduced between 1883 and 1881, as so- called Chinese Sparrows were imported then. There is also a possibility that some were liberated with the House sparrows brought from England in 1863. The strong- hold of the Tree sparrow in Australia is Victoria, especially Melbourne, but it is also found in large numbers in some regions of New South Wales, such as the Riverina. There has been a gradual spreading along the Melbourne to Sydney railroad and the bird is common at Albury
and some outlying towns. It was recorded up to 400 miles north east of Melbourne in 1956.
HABITS OF SPARROWS
Both Tree and House sparrows have similar ecology, food habits and nesting behaviour, with few exceptions. Generally the House sparrow is commensal with man, relying largely on man for nesting sites and food.
House sparrows are noisy, hardy, pug- nacious birds, able to adapt easily to new situations, with a high rate of reproduc- tion. They probably suffer little loss from natural enemies. Although in some places they are colonial nesters, this is thought to have arisen from the birds' feeding habits and sedentary behaviour. The only territorial behaviour exhibited by this sparrow is in the defence of its own nest.
In some places there is a tendency for the birds to flock, but movements are restricted from breeding grounds to feeding grounds. The adult birds are vegetarian but the nestlings subsist largely on insects for about two weeks, after which they become just as vegetarian as their parents. The greater part of their diet is made up of grain and seeds, but they also eat buds and shoots of plants.
The nests are usually bowls of grass, fibres and straw of bulky proportion, and placed in a variety of positions—in build- ings, shrubs, haystacks, under the eaves of houses and so on. In Australia and in parts of its native range, the Tree sparrow as suggested by its name, nests in trees, but in South East Asia and Asia, however, it lives in as close association with man as does the house sparrow, and its nesting sites are similar to that species.
The House sparrow lays from three to seven eggs, bluish and spotted or blotched grey and brown. The Tree sparrow's eggs are similar, but the average is said to be four to six. In America the House sparrow will nest from two to four times a year;
in Great Britain at least three clutches are raised per year and in Australia at least two are common. House sparrow numbers in Great Britain are estimated to be more than 10,000,000 while the corresponding figure for the U.S.A. is 150,000,000.
360
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ECONOMICS
The House sparrow conflicts with man's interests over much of its indigenous range and certainly in most places where it has been introduced. In the last 100 years its economic importance has been strongly debated and much literature has been written on the beneficial and harmful aspects of its behaviour.
The following harmful activities are recorded against the sparrow:—
DAMAGES CROPS
(1) In Russia, it has been recorded as consuming from 40 to 70 per cent, of a crop of wheat. Besides de- vouring considerable wheat grain the birds damage the standing crop and newly sown seed, but most crop damage appears to be in the period before harvest.
Other crops such as milo maize, grain sorghums, millet and other cereals are also damaged. Beans and pods of broad beans are damaged in the Sudan. Damage to crops is recorded from Russia, Great Britain, America, New Zealand and the Sudan.
DAMAGES GARDEN PRODUCE (2) Sparrows are destructive pests in
gardens, attacking seedling peas (their flowers and pods) eating the tender shoots of vegetables and stripping buds from spring flowers such as crocuses, primroses, poly- anthus, while the leaves of car- nations, chrysanthemums and lettuce are pecked off. This type of damage is recorded from New Zealand, Great Britain, America and the Falkland Islands.
DAMAGES FRUIT
(3) Destroys buds on cultivated trees, shrubs and vines, and also blossom in orchards in New Zealand and America. Plum trees, currants and gooseberries are disbudded and stripped of blossom.
(4) Destroys fruit of every kind. Such fruits as cherries, grapes, berries, mangos, date fruits and other small fruits are affected. Damage
of this nature is recorded in America, Sudan, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia.
DEFACES BUILDINGS
(5) Defaces buildings and trees in cities and parks and is a pest in canteens, food depots and stores.
Also annoys homeowners, damag- ing houses by placing nests in guttering, drain water pipes and chimneys. This type of damage occurs almost everywhere.
OTHER DAMAGE
(6) The noise of large flocks is said to be irritating to some suburban dwellers in America. The filth of their nesting sites is also objec- tionable.
(7) Displaces indigenous birds in America, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Bermuda.
(8) Distributes p o u l t r y parasitic worms (cestodes and nematodes);
carries blood-sucking parasites of epidemiological importance which are associated with diseases of man and animals in Russia and America, and is suspected of doing so elsewhere.
In defence of the sparrow it has been claimed that it destroys harmful insects such as caterpillars, cattle tick and others.
Some feel too that the sparrow is of aesthetic value where other birds are few.
Perhaps this is true in the larger cities in Europe and Great Britain but other birds would probably colonise these cities if sparrows were not already entrenched.
The sparrow also eats large quantities of weed seeds but probably assists in their spread at the same time.
It does seem certain, however, t h a t the damage done by the sparrow largely de- pends on the area and numbers of birds present at the time. In cultivated areas and cities there is no doubt t h a t it is exceedingly harmful and that in excessive numbers sparrows' damage can be con- siderable and severe.
Although the Tree sparrow does not appear to do as much damage as the house sparrow, it could be just as destructive if its numbers built up. As far as is known it does not appear to be a pest in Asia,
363
although it is known to eat rice. In Tibet for instance, it does a great deal of damage in barley fields, but the local peoples seem quite unconcerned and no effort is made to control it.
As sparrows have not yet become per- manently established in Western Australia every effort must be made to prevent their introduction and colonisation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE SPARROW
B a n n e n n a n , D. A. (1953-4).—The Birds of t h e British Isles, Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh.
Bryant, H . C. (1916).—The European House Sparrow a n d I t s control i n California. Calif.
Pish. G m . Comm. 7. S a n Francisco, Cali- fornia.
Cawkell, E. M. a n d Hamilton, J . E. (1961).—
T h e Birds of t h e F a l k l a n d Islands. Ibis 103A (1) 1961.
Cayley, N. W. (1956).—What Bird is T h a t ? Angus & Robertson Melb., Australia.
Department of Agirculture, N.S.W. (1918).—The Food of Australian Birds. Sc. Bull. 15 : 5- 6 July.
Falkenstein, B. N. (1963).—"Damage Done by Birds i n t h e U.S.S.R." Personal Comm, Zool. Lab. U.S.S.R. Agric. Prot. Inst.
H'enko, A. I. (1962).—The H a r m and Good Done by t h e House Sparrow. Priroda 2 : 111-112.
W.R. 107 : 66.
Jackson, V. W. (1920).—Birds in Relation to Agriculture Ext, Bull, 52. Manitoba F a r m Lib. July.
K h a t i m , H a m i d Sir E l (1962).—"Damage by Birds in S u d a n . " Personal Comm. Min.
Agric. K h a r t o u m , Sudan.
Kovacs, B. (1955).—Untersuchungsresulate des Kropflnhaltes der F e l d - u n d Haussperlinge, sowie deren Wirtschaft liche Bedeutung a n dem Gebiete der landwirtschaft der Akademie in Debrecen. Debrec. Mezogaz- dasagi. Akademia Evkonyve, 1955. 63-93.
Le Souef, J . C. (1958).—The Introduction of Sparrows i n Victoria. E m u 58 : 264-6 Sept.
Ludlow, F . (1950).—The Birds of Lhasa. Ibis 92 : 34-45.
Lund, M. K. (1956).—Graspurven (Passer domesticus (L) ) Nord-Norge. Dansk Orn.
Foren. Tidsskr. 50 : 67-76.
Mackworth-Praed, C. W. a n d G r a n t , C. H . B.
(1963).—Birds of t h e Southern T h i r d of Africa. Series n Vol. 11. Longmans Green, London.
McCance, N. (1962).—Reckless Acclimatization.
Aust. Avic. August, 1962. p . 105.
Ministry Agric. Fish a n d Food (1962).—The House Sparrow. Min Agric. Fish a n d Food.
Adv. leaflet No. 169. November.
Neff, J. A. (1937).—Procedures a n d Methods in Controlling Birds Injurious t o Crops in California. U.S.D.A. Bur. Biol. Surv. &
Calif. SX>.A. pp 87-89 Nov.
Oliver, W. (1955).—New Zealand Birds. 2nd Edit.
Reed, Wellington.
Pescott, E. E. (1943).—The English Sparrow in Australia. Vic. Nat. 60 (3) : 47 J u l y 7.
Peters, J . L. (1962).—Checklist of Birds of t h e World. Vol. 15. Mus. Comp. Zool. C a m - bridge.
Roberts, T. S. (1960).—Bird P o r t r a i t s i n Colour.
Uni. Minn. Press. Minneapolis 1934 Rev.
1960.
Sage, B. L. (1956).—Remarks on t h e Racial Status, History a n d Distribution of t h e Tree Sparrow Introduced to Australia. Emu 56 : 137 May.
Serventy, D. L. and Whittell, H. M. (1962).—
Handbook of t h e Birds of Western Australia.
3rd Edit. Paterson, Brokensha, P e r t h . Southern, H. N. (1945).—The Economic I m -
portance of t h e House Sparrow. Anns. App.
Biol. 32 (1) : 57-67. Feb.
Summers-Smith, D. (1958.—The Nest-site Selec- tion, P a i r Formation a n d Territory i n t h e House Sparrow. Ibis 100 (2) : 190-230 Apr.
Tarr, H. E. (1950).—The Distribution of Foreign Birds Emu 49 : 189.
Thomson, G. M. (1922).—The Naturalisation of Animals and P l a n t s in New Zealand.
Camber. Uni. Press.
U.S.D-A. (1938).—Two Home-made T r a p s for English Sparrows. U.S.D.A. Bur. Biol. Surv.
Wildl. Res. & Man. leaflet BS-121 Oct. 1-9.
Wing, L. W. (1956).—Natural History of Birds.
Ronald Press. New York.
364
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