At our backyard feeders in Port Townsend, we have had a very vocal family (families?) of House Sparrows this year. Too many little ones to count, and I’m not sure how many adults. Surprisingly, the usual feisty House Sparrows are frequently chased off our feeders by the Goldfinches! Lots of skirmishes between them.
Pat Grainger
Port Townsend
Sent from my iPad
On Jul 13, 2023, at 10:04 AM, Dennis Paulson wrote:
I don’t think pesticides are responsible for House Sparrow declines, as they are primarily seed-eaters, and most of our seed-eaters seem to be doing fine. Perhaps a steady decline in nest sites, as we clean up the place, but it could be something else. House Sparrows have declined greatly in Europe, where they are native, and as far as I know, they haven’t come up with any clear ideas of the cause.
We had up to 30 House Sparrows at our feeders when we moved to this house in 1991, and for several years now we have scarcely seen one. A House Sparrow at a feeder is an exciting event! Same with starlings, although we see a few from time to time.
Dennis Paulson
Seattle
Very informative and interesting article.
I've noticed a steep decline in House Sparrow numbers in Seattle. Pesticides?
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