360 
The English Sparrow 
against this bird, whether justified or not, has arisen because of the an- 
noyance it gives to gardeners and fruit-growers ; its tendency to destroy 
the nests of small native birds and thus drive them out of our towns ; the 
loss caused by fires due to the nests placed about buildings catching 
^ ^ ^ sparks ; its uncleanly habits spoiling sculptures on the 
a Pest facades of buildings ; its noisy chatter about the house 
and yard where once the songs of other birds were 
heard, to say nothing of the petulant calling and fighting in the early 
morning heard about bed-room windows where late risers are taking 
their “beauty sleeps/’ 
Resentment against the bird is reflected in the laws of our country, 
for in no state in the Union is the English Sparrow protected by statute. 
Every little while there are discussions in the public press about starting 
“Sparrow- wars” with a view to exterminating these birds. Now and 
then we hear of some community’s efforts looking to this end. Such 
attempts, however, have virtually been futile, as the English Sparrow can 
take care of itself so successfully that only by continuous warfare against 
it, year after year, can its numbers be kept down. 
Sometimes the experiment is made of offering a bounty on the heads 
of Sparrows. One objection to this procedure is that inexperienced per- 
sons, who are not able to distinguish between the English Sparrow and 
one or another of our native sparrows, immediately become active in such 
a campaign, and our native birds suffer as a result. An agent of this 
Association recently visited a western town where a bounty was being 
paid on dead English Sparrows. This agent ex- 
amined the dead birds brought in during three days, 
and found that only one out of every eleven birds 
brought in were English Sparrows ; the others were all useful native 
birds. 
“What shall we do with the English Sparrow?” is a question which 
this Association is probably asked once a day on an average throughout 
the year. I confess my inability to answer this question. The Depart- 
ment of Agriculture at Washington has attempted to answer it by issuing 
bulletins advising people to poison and trap the birds. Whether this 
course is wise it may at least be said that all such attempts in a public 
way instantly produce strong opposition by many hundreds of men and 
women who, perhaps in lieu of more interesting bird-neighbors, regard 
with pleasure the presence of the English Sparrows, and often feed them 
upon their window-sills, or provide boxes for their accommodation. 
Methods 
of Suppression 
Classification and Distribution 
The English Sparrow belongs to the Order Passeres, Family FringillidcB, and 
Genus Passer. Its scientific name is Passer domesticus. Originally a native of 
Western Europe, its range is now nearly cosmopolitan, wherever civilization offers 
it a chance to get a living in its accustomed way. 
This and other Educational Leaflets are for sale, at 5 cents each, by the National Association of 
Audubon Societies, 1974 Broadway, New York City. Lists given on request. 
