Sparrows and others of that ilk
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Byron
- Posts: 3171
- Joined: Tue Nov 26, 2002 3:01 pm
- Location: Mad House, Eating Tablets, Cereals, Jam, Marmalade and HONEY, with Albert
Paula.
The house sparrow population in the countryside declined by more than half in the last quarter of the 20th century, from about 27 or 28 million to the current 13 million.
The decline of the tree sparrow is even more dramatic, its numbers have fallen by 95% from 2 million to the current 100,000 or so.
The decline in urban and suburban gardens is even greater than in rural gardens.
Some large London sparrow roosts, known as 'chapels', were noted as early as 1865. At the end of 1949 there was one London roost of 19,000 birds.
It seems the lack of winter food, most likely brought about by changes in farming, has caused the decline of the house sparrow in some areas. Grain stores are now firmly closed to sparrows.
Cats kill about a quarter of the house sparrow population each year. To maintain a stable population, only 15% of fledgling house sparrows need to survive to replace those adults that die.
Late broods of house sparrows in suburban areas are starving; in June and July last year, all the chicks died in almost half the nests. This doesn't happen in rural areas. There may be too little food for chicks in later broods. It does seem that lack of food could be an underlying cause of the decline.
However, birds such as blue and great tits are increasing in numbers in urban areas and they feed on similar insects, and are not affected in the same way as the sparrows.
In Kensington Gardens there were 2,600 sparrows in 1925; in 1948 there were 885, then 544 in 1975, and eventually just 8 in 2000.
JTS in your homeland I believe you call them A deryn y.
In England they are called spadge, spadger, spug, spuggy.
On Orkney, spyug.
In the Shetlands, spuggie, sparky, sporra, sporrow.
In Middle English they were sprewe.
In Old English sparwa/spearwa.
This mine of information is presented to you by Byron who is a member of The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and is quoting from the Summer 2003 RSPB Magazine.
I'm not just a member of Amnesty International. I like my birds as well.
For those who like their food (TONY) Sparrow pudding was a largely country dish, but one Elizabethan recipe for sparrows served in ale with herbs on a piece of bread, and a dish including either larks or sparrows served in mutton broth (JO and BYRON) and flavoured with whole mace and pepper in claret with marigold leaves, burberries, rosewater, verjuice, sugar and marrow, indicate that sparrows were by no means ignored at the highest tables. Or behind the bandstand next to the thickets with mint sauce. 
The house sparrow population in the countryside declined by more than half in the last quarter of the 20th century, from about 27 or 28 million to the current 13 million.
The decline of the tree sparrow is even more dramatic, its numbers have fallen by 95% from 2 million to the current 100,000 or so.
The decline in urban and suburban gardens is even greater than in rural gardens.
Some large London sparrow roosts, known as 'chapels', were noted as early as 1865. At the end of 1949 there was one London roost of 19,000 birds.
It seems the lack of winter food, most likely brought about by changes in farming, has caused the decline of the house sparrow in some areas. Grain stores are now firmly closed to sparrows.
Cats kill about a quarter of the house sparrow population each year. To maintain a stable population, only 15% of fledgling house sparrows need to survive to replace those adults that die.
Late broods of house sparrows in suburban areas are starving; in June and July last year, all the chicks died in almost half the nests. This doesn't happen in rural areas. There may be too little food for chicks in later broods. It does seem that lack of food could be an underlying cause of the decline.
However, birds such as blue and great tits are increasing in numbers in urban areas and they feed on similar insects, and are not affected in the same way as the sparrows.
In Kensington Gardens there were 2,600 sparrows in 1925; in 1948 there were 885, then 544 in 1975, and eventually just 8 in 2000.
JTS in your homeland I believe you call them A deryn y.
In England they are called spadge, spadger, spug, spuggy.
On Orkney, spyug.
In the Shetlands, spuggie, sparky, sporra, sporrow.
In Middle English they were sprewe.
In Old English sparwa/spearwa.
This mine of information is presented to you by Byron who is a member of The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and is quoting from the Summer 2003 RSPB Magazine.
I'm not just a member of Amnesty International. I like my birds as well.
For those who like their food (TONY) Sparrow pudding was a largely country dish, but one Elizabethan recipe for sparrows served in ale with herbs on a piece of bread, and a dish including either larks or sparrows served in mutton broth (JO and BYRON) and flavoured with whole mace and pepper in claret with marigold leaves, burberries, rosewater, verjuice, sugar and marrow, indicate that sparrows were by no means ignored at the highest tables. Or behind the bandstand next to the thickets with mint sauce.
Sparrows on the decline, this I know from my own garden, but can someone shed light on the disappearance from my area at least, of the chaffinch. Some 2 years ago I noticed many of my visiting chaffinches were suffering with growths to their feet (I researched this and found out that they were tumours but no advice on cause or prevention) Since then I am lucky to spot 1 or 2 of them despite providing food. I get a fairly good variety of birds to my garden including a kestrel (although I could have done without seeing it have its breakfast of sparrow on my lawn )
Altinkum
Altinkum
100.000 left blimey I really didn't realise it was that bad. Is there nothing we can do to assist them. I live with a serial killer and he killed 4 different species in one day. He killed a frog and a mouse and a spider and a bird. Yes I have a cat and I love cats but they are predators and my one is a very successful predator.
It is in all the papers about the ruddy Ruddy Duck and our poor sparrows are dying. At that rate they will become extinct.
Altinkum after Goldie they had that Giraffe that the whole nation was concerned about he lay down and couldn't get up and apparently Giraffe shouldn't lay down they can't get their necks back up again - he died too. I love London Zoo
It is in all the papers about the ruddy Ruddy Duck and our poor sparrows are dying. At that rate they will become extinct.
Altinkum after Goldie they had that Giraffe that the whole nation was concerned about he lay down and couldn't get up and apparently Giraffe shouldn't lay down they can't get their necks back up again - he died too. I love London Zoo
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John the Shorts
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2003 4:22 pm
- Location: Wales
The giraffe was lying on the floor and was propped up with bales of hay and he had a harness around him to aid him. But he needed to get his neck up himself. Their necks are so delicate and have hundreds of bones so human help was useless. He never managed to get the strength to lift his head.
I know what you mean about zoos JTS. The animals often looked cramped and miserable. But they do a great job in saving animals that are in danger from extinction
I know what you mean about zoos JTS. The animals often looked cramped and miserable. But they do a great job in saving animals that are in danger from extinction
sparrows
I remember another giraffe who was in the news some years ago who suffered a similar fate. It was one of the main stories when I was in hospital giving birth to my first child. I think he (the giraffe) died also as he couldn't get up again.
To try to preserve our sparrows, a couple of simple things we could do is fit collars with a warning bell on our cats to give the birds a warning of danger, and to put bird food out all through the year. Give the birds a chance.
It's nice to know there are other cat lovers out there. Mine is useless at catching anything but the occasional moth or spider. A tiny field mouse got into the kitchen a few years ago, they stared at each other for a minute, then the cat fled and is still apprehensive about that corner of the kitchen!
To try to preserve our sparrows, a couple of simple things we could do is fit collars with a warning bell on our cats to give the birds a warning of danger, and to put bird food out all through the year. Give the birds a chance.
It's nice to know there are other cat lovers out there. Mine is useless at catching anything but the occasional moth or spider. A tiny field mouse got into the kitchen a few years ago, they stared at each other for a minute, then the cat fled and is still apprehensive about that corner of the kitchen!
I used to only feed the birds from october through to april on advice I once read ( it makes the birds lazy so that they don't search for insects and grubs too) but recently they have been advising to feed all year round except peanuts during the nesting period ,chicks can't digest them aparently. so my bird table will be well stocked all year round now.
Altinkum
Altinkum
For the sake of conciseness, I'm forced to combine sadness and hilarity into one posting. I am so sorry to hear of the dilemma of both of those giraffes. What an odd dilemma for all giraffes to have to live with. They are able to kneel only then, on their spindly knees? How terribly sad to hear of such a huge and wonderful animal to die like these did.
Meanwhile, just the thought of your cat's encounter with the field mouse, brings me to laughter, Margaret....particularly the apprehension regarding that corner of the kitchen. Being a cat lover and cat owner myself, I can SO picture it. John, I am also always so thrilled to learn of a man who not only likes but OWNS cats. The numbers outweigh you in the male world. For me, it speaks volumes, in a book I love, when I learn of this fact.
Meanwhile, just the thought of your cat's encounter with the field mouse, brings me to laughter, Margaret....particularly the apprehension regarding that corner of the kitchen. Being a cat lover and cat owner myself, I can SO picture it. John, I am also always so thrilled to learn of a man who not only likes but OWNS cats. The numbers outweigh you in the male world. For me, it speaks volumes, in a book I love, when I learn of this fact.
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John the Shorts
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2003 4:22 pm
- Location: Wales
Lizzy
I hate to disillussion you but I prefer dogs - it's just due to work commitments I couldn't provide a dog with the care that he would need. Cats are more independant and as long as I'm there now and again they seem content, they even bring me presents of dead birds occassionally (I don't think they can grasp the Vegetarian [now Vegan] ethos)
JTS
I hate to disillussion you but I prefer dogs - it's just due to work commitments I couldn't provide a dog with the care that he would need. Cats are more independant and as long as I'm there now and again they seem content, they even bring me presents of dead birds occassionally (I don't think they can grasp the Vegetarian [now Vegan] ethos)
JTS