Fun Facts About House Sparrows

• House Sparrows are extremely adaptable. The have been found living in Death Valley, CA at 280 feet below sea level and in the Colorado Rocky Mountains at altitudes over 10,000 feet. Quite remarkably, House Sparrows are also known to live and breed in a Yorkshire, England coal mine, being fed by the miners over 700’ below ground level.
• The House Sparrow was introduced from England to North America in Brooklyn, NY during the fall of 1851.
• Only 200 years ago, there were no house sparrows on the entire continent of North America. Today, it is estimated that there are over 150 million.
• Originally native to Eurasia and North Africa, House Sparrows have successfully followed man to all of the world’s continents except Antarctica.
• House Sparrows rarely occur very far from humans and our structures.  A sparse House Sparrow population usually indicates a sparse human population too.
• House sparrow populations are in a widespread decline over much of Western Europe. London's sparrow population has dropped by 60% during the past six years. Possible explanations for the decline include modern agricultural practices that leave less waste grain in the fields as well as the increased use of pesticides in urban gardens.
• To move around on the ground, House Sparrows usually hop instead of walk. Walking is rarely observed and then only by older individuals.
• The House Sparrow can swim when it needs to for survival. They have even been observed swimming underwater when threatened.
• While the longevity record for a House Sparrow is over 13 years old, the survival rate for the young of each year is less than 25%. Over 40% of all adult House Sparrows die each year.
• The House Sparrow is one of only three birds not protected by the United States government. The European Starling and the pigeon are the other two.