Anyone who has sparrows in their garden is being asked to help them out this winter.
The sparrow is a staple of British gardens and has been for decades but garden experts are warning that the humble bird is in decline and under threat, particularly in England.
As a result, anyone who sees sparrows twittering in their green space is being asked to leave food out to help them endure the tough winter months.
Sparrows don’t migrate in winter and will stay in the UK despite the cold and the struggle to find plentiful food sources.
Bird feeding experts GardenBird said: “The house sparrow is an endearing, friendly little garden bird whose almost consistent year-round presence is always welcome. However, despite its notoriety as being one of the most sociable and gregarious birds in existence, it’s an understatement to say the sparrow has had a very tough time throughout history.
“Despite the recent return of sightings in gardens across the UK, house sparrows are still classified as being in decline. According to RSPB research, between 1977 and 2008 house sparrows declined by as much as 71 percent.”
The experts put the decline, specifically in England, down to less availability of food, climate change and pollution, the loss of nesting sites and even the introduction of unleaded petrol which they say ‘produces toxic compounds such as methyl nitrate’.
Gardeners are being urged to help these classic British birds out by feeding them over the colder, tougher winter months.
Fortunately, they aren’t fussy and will eat just about anything, including peanuts, seeds, suet and even various kitchen scraps.
GardenBird added: “In fact, according to a BTO Birdwatch Handbook, around 838 different types of food were found in the stomachs of house sparrows from research conducted in the 1940s.”
Just remember to sprinkle some chilli powder on your lawn to make sure the food is unpalatable to squirrels – and that way it will all be left for the sparrows.
