Where do sparrows disappear?

The Ukrainian Bird Protection Society has announced 2024 as the year of the house sparrow.

Why this species?

The house sparrow is still quite common in cities, but their numbers are steadily decreasing every year.

Why are sparrows disappearing?

There are several reasons for this:
reduction of the number of private houses under the roofs and slate of which sparrows like to nest. Construction technologies have also changed: there are no gaps, everything is insulated, concrete and plastic everywhere;

 “modification” of garbage cans, which were a fodder base for birds: garbage is now thrown out in dense plastic bags, and it is packed in closed plastic containers. It is difficult for sparrows to get to food waste;
 the number of households that keep poultry decreased. It was always possible to intercept some grain here;
the disappearance of collective farm streams and elevators, where a significant amount of grain (wheat, oats, rye), which is part of the diet of sparrows, was spilled in the yards and scattered on the road;
 a large number of cats in cities. These animals have always been enemies of the sparrow, as they are natural hunters-predators;
loud celebrations in cities with firecrackers and other pyrotechnics (this reason has temporarily lost its relevance in Ukraine, because currently the use of pyrotechnics is prohibited in Ukraine).

There are 28 species of sparrows in the world. 3 Lives in Ukraine. Domestic and field meet often and everywhere. Until recently, the black-breasted sparrow was considered a rare flying species in Ukraine. But in recent years, these sparrows first inhabited the Danube region and began to expand their range to the north, and now there are hundreds of pairs nesting in the national natural park “Tuzlivski lymani”.
It is quite easy to distinguish between field sparrows and house sparrows. If the bird has “dirty cheeks” (there is a black spot on the cheek), then you have a field sparrow in front of you. If not – it is domestic.

The sparrow’s diet includes seeds, food waste, cereals, cherry berries, currants, grapes, spring flower buds and partly insects, which they also feed the chicks. When they are not near fields, they fly to feed on meadows, forest edges, and steppes, where they collect seeds of wild grasses and insects.

 The house sparrow weighs about 30 grams, and its brain – 1 gram. Thus, the sparrow among birds is the most brainy!
 Sparrows normally fly at a speed of 38 km/h, but a frightened sparrow can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h! Every 15 min. during the flight they stop to rest.
 During flight, a sparrow’s heart beats at a frequency of 1000 beats per minute, while a human’s heart beats at a rate of only 140 during running.
 On the ground, sparrows move in short jumps, as their short legs are not adapted for walking.
 Sparrows see the world in pink shades, which is quite unusual, since usually animals have black and white vision.
 In the wild, sparrows live mostly from 4 to 5 years. In captivity, with good care, they live longer.
 Males are responsible for building the nest. While the work is going on, they try to attract female partners. The sparrows evaluate the sparrow and the property, and then make a decision.
 Sparrows are monogamous. They create a family for life. But, like most small birds, they can cheat on their partners.
 These are very fertile birds. In just a few warm months, they can give 2-3 broods of chicks.
 Chicks leave the nest for the first time on the 10th day after hatching.
 A monument to the sparrow was erected in the city of Boston (USA). Before 1860, there were no sparrows in America. They were brought from England specifically to fight goose bumps. Sparrows literally saved Bostonians from starvation, when the caterpillar of a never-before-seen insect appeared in the fields. The modest birds honorably coped with the mission assigned to them and stayed to live in a new place.