{"id":535,"date":"2016-07-02T09:25:47","date_gmt":"2016-07-02T11:25:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/blog\/?p=535"},"modified":"2016-07-02T09:25:47","modified_gmt":"2016-07-02T11:25:47","slug":"julys-bird-of-the-month-the-house-sparrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/newsandarticles\/julys-bird-of-the-month-the-house-sparrow\/","title":{"rendered":"July’s Bird Of The Month – The House Sparrow."},"content":{"rendered":"


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\nHelp halt the decline of the House Sparrow<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nJuly is a critical month for Hou<\/span><\/span><\/span>se Sparrows whose numbers visiting gardens are in long-term decline. Food provided by householders can give this species a real boost as the young fledge the nest particularly as poor survival rates during the first year of life have been linked to the decline of this charismatic species. They need to develop their independent feeding skills and people can help them on their way by providing high quality bird foods and a supply of fresh clean water.<\/span><\/span>
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\nDecline of House Sparrows<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nOver the past 40 winters numbers of House Sparrows coming to garden feeding stations have dropped by almost two thirds. Recent declines have not been uniform across all regions: the BTO Garden BirdWatch survey* shows that House Sparrow declines have been steepest in English gardens \u2013 particularly in the south east \u2013 but much less severe in Welsh and Scottish ones.<\/span>
\nA number of factors have been linked to the decline of House Sparrows in urban areas. Loss of nesting opportunities, due to changes in roof tile design and replacement of wooden fascias and soffits with plastic alternatives, for example, appear to be important. Also increased demand for off-street parking, so called \u2018garden grabbing\u2019 and the use of decking have served to restrict foraging opportunities for this species. Research shows that House Sparrow breeding success improves in gardens that contain a high proportion of deciduous shrubs and a small amount of concrete.<\/span>
\nFeeding preferences<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\nHouse Sparrows are mainly seed eaters, tucking into a range of seed mixes with a high cereal content, which are often less preferred by other species. During spring and summer, however, invertebrate foods for young House Sparrows become really important with adults doing a great job of clearing up garden greenflies. They will also take foods such as live mealworms, with research suggesting that small colonies may expand through such provision.<\/span>
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\nTop feeding suggestions<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n