By Pauline Tom

Laura Craig emailed, “Just wondered if you might mention/remind to your readers to check their nestboxes for House Sparrows.” 

A typical House Sparrow nest is a messy conglobation of weeds, grasses, and feathers. A tell-tale identifier is the brown and gray male with strong black bib sitting atop the nestbox. 

 Laura told how her valiant efforts saved the life of one baby Black-crested Titmouse, and how the House Sparrow eliminated five titmouse babies. 

Yes, there’s a war going on right here in Mountain City, with aliens (the avian equivalent of fire ants) winning many battles.

 Humans brought House Sparrows and European Starlings from England to the United States in the mid-19th century. They are fierce and determined competitors, and since native birds did not evolve with them, the House Sparrows and starlings have an unfair advantage in competition resulting in the loss of nesting space and the loss of life for native songbirds (as Laura experienced) right here in Mountain City 

For those with nestboxes with “bluebird-sized” holes, one and one-half inches, the starling cannot enter. 

Purple Martin landlords battle with both House Sparrows and starlings. Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA) provides a letter on their website as a handout where “martin-less” houses act as breeding sites for starlings and House Sparrows.

 The letter starts out, “We notice you have a Purple Martin birdhouse in your yard, and we applaud your good intentions. … However, did you realize that by allowing your martin house to stand unmanaged, you are indirectly harming the very birds this house was meant to benefit? You are providing a breeding place for the martin’s worst enemies – the European Starling and the House Sparrow.” 

The letter advises, “If you are not willing to continuously evict starlings and House Sparrows (by trapping, shooting, or nest removal) please consider taking it down altogether. If you want to leave the martin house up as a decoration, but don’t have time to control starlings and House Sparrows, please plug the entrance holes.”

 Laura shared her story. 

“I have a nestbox that had six titmouse nestlings. I went out of town for Easter and came back to discover a House Sparrow had claimed the box. He threw five of the babies out and built a nest right on top of the sixth. 

 Unfortunately, a roadrunner ate two of them (when I realized what he had in his mouth, I chased him off – but not before he grabbed another one and took off with it).  

When I went out to check, I found two dead and one alive on the ground. I removed the sparrow’s nest that was on top of one of them, but sadly he didn’t make it. 

I put the last survivor back in the box. The sparrow threw him out the next day and started building in the box again, so I removed the sparrow nest and put the baby back in and kept watch over the nestbox for almost a week. Luckily, the little titmouse was able to leave the nest today on his own. 

 But, I’m so upset about those House Sparrows! I hear them all over the neighborhood. To me, the House Sparrow sounds like he’s saying ‘cherub, cherub’ – but they are far from little angels.”

 Thanks, Laura, for sharing.

 What else is going on in Mountain City? Please send tidbits. ptom5678@gmail.com (subject: Tidbit) or 512-268-5678.

 Thanks! Love, Pauline