A Halt in Decline of House Sparrows

Wild gardens seem to have helped to halt the decline in number of House Sparrows Passer domesticus. Monitoring has suggested a severe decline in the UK population with a drop of 71% since 1977, that's a fall from about 12 million pairs in the 1970s to between 6 and 7 million pairs today. However, the latest data from the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) Garden Birdwatch (a survey conducted by birdwatchers and householders across the country) reckons that the decline in gardens has stabilised since 2009.

Male House Sparrow

The report shows that in 1995 the proportion of gardens recording one or more house sparrows was about 80%. This fell steadily to 60% in 2009 and has remained at the same rate since. News to be cautiously welcomed. Clare Simm, BTO's Garden Birdwatch development officer, said: "It is too soon to say that they are increasing but the decline has definitely levelled off since 2009 and hopefully this means they will start to increase again".

The house sparrow is a "Red-listed" conservation species which has been in long-term decline, particularly in urban and suburban environments. Greater London lost 70% of its sparrows between 1994 and 2001. House sparrow populations across Britain have been hit by a loss of nesting sites and food sources, particularly a lack of insects to feed their young. Air pollution and the use of pesticides are also being blamed. 

But we are a nation of wildlife lovers and many of us are now managing our gardens for wildlife, which certainly benefits our house sparrows. A few days ago I was astonished to count no less than twelve juvenile house sparrows perched in my lilac tree, where most of the feeders hang. Astonishing because these twelve were all juveniles.

The BTO has recommended five measures for gardeners to encourage house sparrows:

• Let an area of garden go wild to encourage insects
• Plant species such as hawthorn and ivy which provide thick vegetation
• Provide a house sparrow terrace or a group of nest boxes near the eaves of your property
• If you feed birds, provide them with seed mix that includes large grains
• Regularly clean feeding stations to prevent disease

And one from me: provide clean drinking water daily.