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House Sparrows
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Phylum: Chordata, Class: Aves, Order: Passeriformes, Family: Fringillida
House Sparrows at Heligan
As their Latin name suggests sparrows have a very close relationship with man and have been an integral part of the Heligan landscape for centuries. The Steward’s House garden, pleasure grounds and hedgerows of East and West Lawn are good places to see them dust bathing and generally interacting with one another. They are very sociable birds and will flock all year round. Come spring the some pairs will speculate the nest boxes outside the Hide in which over 50 successful broods have been raised in recent years. A large proportion of the Hide population spend the day in the hedgerow that separates Steward’s Meadow and Horsemoor; the over 100 strong flock can be so loud you can hear the collective twitters and cheeps even from Hide Park Corner! Beacon Field, our new arable field, has provided a reliable winter food supply for sparrows and other species in its first year under our management regime that puts wildlife first.
Recognition and habitat
At Heligan we have a country version of the more common urban sparrow, the difference being our version has a more defined plumage. If you have time and binoculars, look at their intricate wing plumage, a beautiful chestnut brown with black flecks. The male has a warm brown coloured nape and a black bib whereas the female and young are rather drab in comparison.
Predators and Prey
Heligan supports a thriving population of sparrowhawks that keep the sparrow population in check although the most effective predator nationally is the domestic cat. House sparrows are carnivorous for the first few weeks of life when chicks are fed on highly nutritious caterpillars and flies. As adults they are granivores and feed on grain and seed heads.
Life Cycle
Sparrows can breed all year round given warm conditions however in this country they tend to have 2 or 3 broods in natural holes and nest boxes. The nest is an untidy ball of grass lined with feathers. The pairs that breed outside the Hide can be seen live on screen and we often see 3 broods from a single box. |
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