Exotic Animals - Minor Pests
House Sparrow
Family: Passeridae
Scientific names: Passer domesticus
Other common names: Sparrow, Spoggie
Background
House sparrows are native to Europe and much of Asia, but because of its close association with humans, house sparrows are not spread widely throughout the world. House sparrows were introduced to Australia in the 1860’s. They are currently restricted to the eastern half of the Northern Territory, where they primarily inhabit urban areas, but may also be located around remote homesteads, where they survive on grains and seeds.
Feeding
House sparrows will preferentially eat seeds and grain, however, like many pest species, they are omnivorous, meaning that they consume a wide variety of foods (insects, spiders, berries, fruits, flower buds and scraps of food left by humans).
Breeding
House sparrows live in close proximity to humans, where they nest in human-made structures, and thrive in disturbed conditions. The house sparrow has an incubation period of 10-12 days, which is the shortest incubation time of any other bird. In ideal conditions, a female may lay up to 25 eggs in a single year, enabling the population sizes of this species to increase rapidly.
Impacts
It is suggested that House Sparrows have little impact on biodiversity because they are primarily located in urban areas. Nevertheless, house sparrows are highly aggressive towards other birds and will take over the nest sites of native species. House sparrows will also break the eggs of other birds, leading to declines in native populations of birds. In agricultural areas, house sparrows will consume large quantities of grain and seed, resulting in significant reductions in yield.
What Can You Do?
If you have a problem with house sparrows in and around your house, you might consider the following options:
- Block up cavities and areas around houses where they can build a nest.
- Remove active nests and eggs.
- Remove scraps of food from areas close to the house.
