Urban noise 'killing baby house sparrows'

Noise in urban areas could be increasing the mortality rate among young house sparrows, a study has suggested.

Researchers say the noise could stop adult birds hearing the hunger calls from their dependent offspring.

In their study, the team found that birds nesting in noisy areas were less effective at feeding their chicks as those that nested in quieter places.

The findings have been published in the journal Plos One.

Scientists from the University of Sheffield reached their conclusion after carrying out a study on Lundy, a 445-hectare (1,100-acre) island located 19km (12mi) off the North Devon coast.

Co-author Julia Schroeder explained that the project happened more-or-less by chance.

"When I first went to the island, which is very remote and quiet - apart from gulls and shearwaters - I entered a barn and it was very loud," she recalled.

The barn contained an electricity generator, yet sparrows were still choosing to nest in the building, so Dr Schroeder wondered whether the conditions affected the songbirds.

Continued:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18784607

Green shoots of recovery for House Sparrows?

Slow recovery since the nadir of 2006

June 2012. House Sparrows are approaching a six-year high in gardens. Numbers declined sharply in 2006 but are now making a steady recovery. To help the public nurture this upturn, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has produced a free factsheet.

Long-term decline
The House Sparrow is a species that has been in long-term decline. Data collected by householders who take part in BTO surveys show that the number of House Sparrows using garden feeding stations during winter has dropped by two thirds since the early 1970s. The middle of the last decade saw a particularly sudden drop, which coincided with a large outbreak of disease (trichomonosis) in Greenfinches and Chaffinches. It is, therefore, possible that trichomonosis might also have had an impact on House Sparrows, although formal analyses are yet to be conducted.

Fragile recovery
Since this drop, however, numbers of House Sparrows in gardens have rallied and are now approaching a six-year high. This recovery is fragile and needs support. Gardeners can create a more hospitable environment for House Sparrows by cultivating thick vegetation, cleaning feeding stations regularly and by putting up groups of nest boxes in which House Sparrows can breed. Other top-tips are provided in the BTO House Sparrow factsheet.

English House Sparrows are in particular need of some TLC. Since 1995, when the year-round BTO Garden BirdWatch survey started, declines of House Sparrows in English gardens have been much steeper than those in Scotland or Wales. On average, almost one in four English householders have lost their House Sparrows since 1995, compared with fewer than one in ten householders in both Scotland and Wales. Early indications suggest that House Sparrows are also faring better in gardens in Northern Ireland and Ireland than in England.

Summer is a fantastic time of year to look out for House Sparrows. Territorial males can be heard ‘chirruping' from roof tops as they proclaim their breeding territories, with the main nesting period continuing until August. From June through to early September, numbers of House Sparrows in gardens increase rapidly as fledglings arrive in search of food and shelter.

Tim Harrison, BTO Garden BirdWatch Team, commented: "The decline of the House Sparrow has grabbed the public's attention unlike any other species. Just a few decades ago, children grew up surrounded by this charismatic species. Now, they are likelier to spot a Chaffinch, Collared Dove or Woodpigeon in their garden."

He added: "These green shoots of recovery for House Sparrows in gardens are small and delicate. They need nurturing and the BTO wants to help the public to do this."

For the free BTO House Sparrow Factsheet, email gbw@bto.org, telephone 01842-750050 or write to House Sparrow Factsheet, Garden BirdWatch, British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU.

On trail of house sparrows

Unlike humans, birds can’t tolerate pollution. A few of them may adapt to certain degrees, but not to extremes.

Thanks to pollution, the house sparrow, which was once abundant in Chennai, has now become rare.

Except for the ubiquitous crow, majority of the indigenous birds have become rare or endangered in Chennai owing to unchecked urbanisation and depleting green cover, admit environmentalists and bird watchers in the city who will be observing the World Sparrow Day on March 20.

“Chennai was once home to sparrows, but today their population has reduced drastically and the same s the case with several other species.

We often blame cell phone towers and radiations as the reason for the disappearance of sparrows, but the problem is that we do not have a concrete study or conclusive report to prove that radiation affects bird life”, said Mr Sudhakar, president, Madras Naturalists Society.

MNS has been observing resident and migratory birds and plans to release a map indicating the sparrow habitats in Chennai, he added.

Professor D. Narasimhan, department of Botany, Madras Christian College, said, “The house sparrow is strongly associated with human habitations, and can live in urban or rural settings, but the city’s housing pattern has become unfriendly for nesting sparrows”.

Also, sparrows are low flying birds and cannot build nests in high-rises and flats, explained the botanist. Once sparrows used to nest above switch boards or in electrical fittings, but today even wirings are sealed leaving the tiny birds without space for nesting, he added.

The house sparrow feeds mostly on seeds of grains and weeds, and insects; it can perform complex and unusual tasks to obtain food. Details into its food availability can also help trace the reason behind their disappearance, said Mr Sudhakar.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/chennai/trail-house-sparrows-871