House/Hedge sparrows

A new feed station in our garden (after approx one year) has attracted five squadrons of house and hedge sparrows, one chaffinch (male) two wood pigeons and three magpies.

Up until last year, we hardly saw a sparrow, our main visitors being great tits, blue tits and robins, plus goodies and maggies.

I was under the impression that sparrows were in major decline ? Has this situation changed and are our beautiful tits and robins similarly threatened ?

Leslie.

  • House Sparrows have shown a dramatic decline since the 70's as can be seen in the BTO report in the link below.

    https://app.bto.org/birdtrends/species.jsp?year=2018&s=housp

    However, like you I've seen a small resurgence of them in my garden after many years of complete absence. I think they can be quite localised possibly dependent upon them finding suitable nesting habitats. I know someone in my neighbourhood that has installed sparrow nesting boxes but how much that is a contributing factor in my area I don't know.

    Dunnocks (aka Hedge Sparrows) have also declined but I've always had them in the garden. Unlike the social House Sparrows they are territorial so you are never going to see them in more than twos or threes 

  • Alan
    Thank you for your reply, we live in North Birmingham but as I said, our usual visitors were blue tits, great tits and robins.
    I am pleased there are still sparrows around, a lot of people were very uncomplimentary about them as they were so numerous and 'common'
    It is a pleasure to see them, I guess along those lines of you don't know what you have until it is gone, I
    Hope to see a resurgence of our former visitors.