Laura-- Many of us would love to see these birds disappear. 120 years ago ornithologists were writing large books about how to get rid of them. The Bird Act does NOT protect them, or starlings. Yes, I believe their numbers are falling, but not nearly fast enough. Here's an account of it from my book (free on the Cols Audubon site): House Sparrow Passer domesticus*. An alien species first released by enthusiasts, now a common-abundant resident locally; it was called “superabundant” on the OSU campus as early as 1901 (Griggs 43). Jones (1903:221) traced its Ohio origins to 53 pairs set free in Cleveland, Warren, and Cincinnati 1869-72. A specimen was collected in Columbus as early as 3/7/1878 (OSUM #1294). Davie (1898:365) commented on its extraordinary adaptability: “[a] nest, which was composed of steel turnings of a lathe, was lodged on a beam in the Panhandle shops at Columbus. Two broods had been raised in this nest in one season.” By 1903 Dawson (p. 42), observing its depredations in the county, indulged in some invective: “Of late the choicest rural sites have been appropriated, and the cliffs once sacred to the gentle Swallow, now resound with the vulgar bletherings and maudlin mirth of this avian blot on nature.” Outside the breeding season it roosts communally in cover such as conifers or dense brush, at which time it forms large skittish flocks. As recently as the 1940s Columbus field reports, even from parklands, often showed them outnumbering any other species by a factor of ten. Its numbers have waned noticeably (and in parts of its native Old World range often precipitously), especially in rural settings, from those of former days, with less pasturage and fewer horses in use, declining use of haystacks, better refuse management, and perhaps—-one dares to hope—-competition from starlings. Its slow decline has continued over recent decades. The Columbus CBC’s numbers peaked at 6040 house sparrows on 12/28/1985; tallied recently were 1816 in 2009, 965 in 2010, 1413 in 2011, 977 in 2013, and 1383 in 2014. Bill Whan Columbus On 3/12/2015 1:55 AM, Laura Peskin wrote: > Why not hope the raptors come back for a nice, juicy English sparrow treat > ? They have to eat too, anyways. Right after English sparrows were > introduced into this country, about 100 years ago, they were such farm > nuisances that people trapped them. The Migratory Bird Act may have ended > that. Lately I've noticed English sparrow numbers down and native > competitor numbers up, but that might just be personal observer bias. > > Laura > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] > > ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]