The English Sparrow is most often referred to as a pest. It is a permanent resident in more senses than one. It was in 1851 and 1852 at Brooklyn, New York, that the small bird was first introduced. During the first 20 years or so it was mostly confined to the larger cities in the east. However, due to the bird’s rapid increase it has spread throughout every State in the Union and has proved itself to be truly a great nuisance. Native birds have been driven from their homes and have been robbed of much of their food and many of their nesting sites. Song: The English Sparrow has no true song, but rather is content to call Chirp—Chirp—Chirp—Chirp! over and over again. Sometimes, in the larger cities such as New York, far from the parks where no other birds would probably be, the hardy little Sparrow is welcomed by the children to whom, without him, bird life would be entirely a closed book. Thus it is that the chirp-chirp-chirp! is not unwelcome everywhere. Nest: Dr. Frank M. Chapman has said that the English Sparrow builds its nest of any available material, in any available place. Behind window shutters, in upturned eave spouts and gutters, beneath roofs, in holes in trees and in almost every conceivable place, this bird makes its home. The eggs, four to seven in number, vary greatly in coloration. Sometimes they are plain white, sometimes almost completely colored with olive brown. They are often marked with olive. Remarks: Even though this little bird is truly a pest it seems a shame to criticize him in too harsh terms. After all, it is not his fault that he was brought to a country whose climate and general living conditions proved to be exactly what he wanted. He has thrived because his adopted habitat has proved to be ideal. Let us not confuse this bird in any way with our truly native sparrows whose habits are so entirely different from this little English Colonist. The names of some of our North American birds of the same family are the field sparrow, the song sparrow, the vesper sparrow and many others whose lives, unfortunately, are not nearly so well known. The English Sparrow |