IS 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



1 lie F,nglish Sparrow or luiro])i-an House 

 Sparrow was introduced into America in 1850. 

 In the fall of that year eight pairs were brought 

 to Brooklyn, N. Y., and liberated in the follow- 

 ing spring. Since that time many importations 

 have been made, and small lots of sparrows have 

 been carried from one locality to another until 

 now the bird is naturalized nearly all o^■er the 

 United States. This rapid dissemination is a 



resident, he starts his nesting early and when 

 the other birds arrive, all the available nesting 

 sites are occupied and the new-comers must 

 either fight for a place or go elsewhere. Not 

 infrequently he directly attacks Robins, Song 

 Sparrows, Chickadees, Flycatchers, Thrushes, 

 Tanagers, and other birds, while they are feed- 

 ing and annoys them by repeated calls at their 

 liomes. 



Drawing by L. A. Fui-rtes 



ENGLISH SPARROWS 

 Male Female 



Taking possession of a nesting box provided for a native bird 



result of the bird's hardiness, extraordinary 

 fecundity, diversity of food, aggressive disposi- 

 tion, and almost complete immunity from 

 natural enemies. 



Although English Sparrows are widely dis- 

 tributed as a species, individuals and flocks have 

 an extremely narrow range, each flock occupying 

 one locality and confining its operations to that 

 particular territory. 



The House Sparrow is a persistent enemy of 

 many native birds, especially those which fre- 

 quent the neighborhood of houses, or which nest 

 in boxes, holes, or other places prepared for 

 them l)v their human friends. Being a winter 



The lilthy habits of these birds are most annoy- 

 ing. They gather in immense flocks to roost, 

 and generally select cornices, ornamental work 

 about the eaves and gables of houses, windovi'- 

 cappings, and the vines which cover the walls 

 of buildings. These they defile with their ex- 

 crement. Great and serious damage , is often 

 caused by their carrying nesting materials into 

 rain-spouts, gutters, and similar places about 

 houses, so that cisterns are defiled, or pipes over- 

 flow, causing destruction of or injury to property. 



The English S])arrow. when once established 

 increases with wonderful rapidity. At least two 

 broods are raised in a season, but the usual num- 



