THE ENGLISH SPAEKOW AND THE MEANS OF 

 CONTEOLLING IT. 



EDWARD HOWE FORBUSH, STATE ORNITHOLOGIST. 



All our native sparrows are beneficial birds and should be 

 protected. Care should be used not to disturb, molest or de- 

 stroy any native sparrow or to confuse any with the imported 

 sparrow which is the subject of this paper. The name English 

 sparrow is a misnomer, as the bird referred to is the "house 

 sparrow" (Passer domesticus) of Europe, where it is native to 

 nearly the entire continent, but the former name has been 

 adopted in the United States and will be perpetuated. The so- 

 called English sparrow, regarded by practically all competent 

 authorities as a pest in the United States, is more injurious and 

 less beneficial than most native American birds, but neverthe- 

 less has many friends in this country. It has beneficial habits, 

 for practically all land birds destroy pests of some kind. Few 

 people may now remember that this sparrow on its introduction 

 to America was recommended for the special purpose of ridding 

 park trees of geometrid caterpillars, a service which it un- 

 doubtedly performs. Native birds, however, might have done 

 as well or better had the sparrow been left in its original home, 

 and had they been encouraged to nest in the parks, for practi- 

 cally all small birds eat such insects. 



Many people have complained to me that the sparrow has 

 driven other birds from nesting boxes and has dragged the 

 young of other birds out of nests and killed them. Where 

 there are English sparrows it is useless to put up nesting boxes 

 or bird houses for native birds unless some effort is made to 

 control this foreign enemy; otherwise the boxes eventually will 

 be occupied by sparrows, other birds will be driven out and 

 the net result vrAl be an increased sparrow population. A 

 great manufacturing firm writes : — 



The sparrows have become so numerous about our buildings as to be 

 almost unbearable so far as noise is concerned. Also they are extremely 

 dirty, and we are very desirous of keeping them away. It has occurred 

 to us that poisoned food of some sort could be used with safety. May 

 we not hear a word from you? If poison is proper, how shall we proceed? 



