Field Notes: The Sparrows “In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” —Aristotle
~by Jim Eagleman
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parrows collectively aren’t the most unusual birds. Since they are common, present in all seasons, and mostly drab in color, they escape attention. A few stand out like the white-throated fox sparrow, and white-crowned. We take an extra minute with binoculars, check the field guide, and look for field marks to make a proper ID. It’s an easy thing to lump all sparrows together; similarity may breed commonness, maybe even boredom with some birders. I think the white-throated are among the prettiest. Of the nearly thirty-three native sparrows across the US, none will win a contest for outstanding plumage. But even on the most drab winter days I believe any sparrow is still worth our time and attention. “LGB” is shouted out while out birding with friends. I might spend more time watching than they do. Little Gray Bird usually means a sparrow of some kind—field, song, or tree—depending on the habitat. It still presents a challenge. That’s the fun of it and why we go out. Well-suited for the weather, primed to stand, move and watch, we prepare for the worst like any winter outdoor activity. You can’t enjoy any winter outing if the cold sets in. The English sparrow, or known by many as the house sparrow, was introduced by a misguided bird enthusiast. In the 1850s, New York City’s trees were being ravaged by the larvae of the linden moth. Faced with this harmful pest, the city imported the house sparrow from Europe to devour them. The scheme worked but the sparrow’s numbers grew and propagated, spreading across the US to become the ubiquitous pest we now have. English sparrows aggressively compete with native birds for nesting sites and food. Ever since, the American ecosystem has been engaged in an on-going battle against an enemy numbering some 540 million strong. While one of the most successful and adaptable birds in the world, along with the starling, it does not receive federal protection. However, sparrow numbers may help us learn more about birds in general. Since they can be found in all kinds of habitats they serve the bird researcher well. We
54 Our Brown County • Nov./Dec. 2021
fox sparrow
song sparrow
know wild birds face two competing risks every day: starvation and predation. They must eat without being eaten and they have to find enough food every day to last through the long, cold night. Sparrows have been frequently researched with their attempts at finding food, often in the open. Eating adds weight that slows down any songbird. They constantly assess risks and benefits of a potential food source. Experiments have shown that when birds know that predators are around, they delay feeding until later in the day. That way, they stay light and agile through the afternoon and put on weight just before they sleep. When I was a kid on the farm many different kinds of sparrows frequented the
