Interesting House Sparrow Facts

1. The House Sparrow is also known as the English Sparrow. This is to distinguish it from the native sparrows that can be found in North America. Obviously, the House Sparrow can trace its origins back to Great Britain, hence its name.

2. The House Sparrow first came to North America in 1851, when it was introduced to Brooklyn, New York. From there, the House Sparrow population quickly spread to the Rocky Mountains and on to the West Coast, mainly due to introductions in San Francisco, California and Salt Lake City, Utah.

3. In North America, many other bird lovers have developed distaste for the House Sparrow. This is due to different factors. Perhaps one big reason is the fact that House Sparrows have adapted very quickly to their new home. As such, their population has grown to almost unmanageable heights. This has resulted in the elbowing out of other bird species. In fact, a term has been coined to denote this occurrence. House Sparrow Invasion is considered to be a serious thing in some areas.

4. In 1883, House Sparrows were legally protected in Texas. There was a law that disallowed the killing of any sparrow back then.

5. The House Sparrow has been in North America for so long that even though it is not native to the area, it has experienced some changes in physical appearance. Just like the native birds, the northern House Sparrows are longer than the ones in the south.

6. House Sparrows are not water birds but did you know that they can actually swim? There have been observations of House Sparrows which have been caught in water traps and then swam underwater to go from one part of the trap to another and escape!

7. Attesting to the fact that it is not a water bird, the House Sparrow bathes itself in dust instead. It normally throws soil and dust over itself as though it were taking a bath in water.

8. House Sparrows are said to eat anything. According to the Handbook of Texas Online, they are known to eat over 830 different foods!

9. Though the House Sparrow is known to be aggressive towards other birds, it is also susceptible to attacks by other bird species. In fact, the Starling and the House Wren are known to be competitors for nesting sites and have been known to destroy the eggs of the House Sparrow.

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