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House Sparrow
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [Dutch] |
Today a picture from a birdthat in a few year in the Netherlands almost gone.
This one are since 2004 on the Red list and so protected.
Because the modern houses has this bird no more space to build their nest.
I hope you like this one.
Thanks for looking and critique on my previous postings.
Latin name - Passer domesticus
The House Sparrow is distributed worldwide (excluding the Poles). It is native to Eurasia and North Africa. It was introduced into S. Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and America. Its introduction into North America occured in 1851, when a group of 100 birds from England was released in Brooklyn, New York.
House Sparrows like areas that have been modified by humans, including farms, residential, and urban areas. They are absent from uninhabited woodlands, deserts, forests, and grasslands.
The House Sparrow is a stout, stocky sparrow, with shorter legs and a thicker bill than indigenous American sparrows. Members of both sexes are brown backed with black streaks throughout this area. Its underside is pale buff. Males have white cheeks and a black bib, while females do not. The tail is usually three-quarters the length of the wing. Wing length is 76 mm and average mass is 28.5 grams.
House Sparrows form monogamous pairs for each breeding season. Nests are built between February and May. House Sparrows nest in crevices inside and on buildings, and in coniferous and deciduous trees. Nests are built from dried vegetation, feathers, strings, and paper. Eggs are layed at any time in the nesting period. One to eight eggs can be present in a clutch, with the possiblity of four clutches per nesting season. Incubation begins after all the eggs have been layed. Both males and females incubate the eggs for short periods of a few minutes each. Incubation lasts for 10 to 14 days. After the eggs are hatched, both males and females feed the young through regurgitation.
A wild House Sparrow lived to be 13 years and 4 months old, though most will live for only several years.
House Sparrows tend to forage for food on the ground, using a hopping movement when not in flight. Their flight is direct, with continued flapping and no periods of gliding.
House Sparrows aggressively protect a small teritorry just around their nesting site. This is believed to be strictly a protection of the nest site, and not of any feeding areas. Sparrows have been observed to threaten, and if necessary, attack 70 species of birds that have come into their nesting territory. These attacks seem to be intrasexual, males attack males and females attack only females.
House Sparrows use a set of postures and behaviors to communicate with others of their species. House Sparrows also have a set of vocalizations that are used to attract mates, deter intruders, and warn others.
House Sparrows eat various kinds of seed supplemented by some insects. Rural birds tend to eat more waste seed from animal dung and seed from fields, while urban birds tend to eat more commercial birdseed and weed seed. Studies of the contents of House Sparrow stomachs in Alabama, Conn., Illinois, Iowa, Mass., Michigan, Miss., Penn., and Vermont have shown approximate amounts of seed to be 60% livestock feed (corn, wheat, oats, etc.), 18% cereals (grains from storage or from fields), 17 % weed seed, and 4% insects.
Many hawks and owls hunt and feed on house sparrows. These include Cooper's hawks, merlins, snowy owls, eastern screech owls, and many others. Known predators of nesting young or eggs include cats, domestic dogs, raccoons, and many snakes. House sparrows avoid predation by foraging in small flocks so that there are many eyes watching out for potential predators.
House Sparrows are abundant near human habitations. In these areas they serve as an important prey base for birds of prey and they may have an impact on plant communities because they consume large quantities of seeds.
Due to its preference for human-modified habitats, the House Sparrow is considered a nuisance species, a competitor of native birds, and an agricultural pest. Large aggregations around buildings produce annoying noise and large quantities of feces.
The House Sparrow has proven well-suited for studies of general biological problems, such as evolutionary mechanisms, temperature metabolism, and pest control.
When first introduced into the United States in 1851, House Sparrows were protected from predators and fed. The species soon began to prosper in its new setting, and opinion changed to see House Sparrows as a nuisance. Since the 1960's, with the changes in farming to larger, monocrop farms, House Sparrow populations have declined. They are not, however, seen as threatened and are not included in most Canadian and U.S. regulations. |
rousettus, manyee, nasokoun, siggi, Mikolaj, gannu, parasbhalla, CeltickRanger, nglen, boreocypriensis, Noisette has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes. |
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good morning Gert,
you are earlier again. nice to meet you in this times.
very prety house sparrow shot from great POV. eyes contact very nice and it looks very lovely. sharp focus, exposure and composition also great. I like also BG coloration.
thanks for sharing this beauty. have a wonderful day.
Ahmet
- manyee
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3064 W: 231 N: 6159]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(21044) - [2009-09-20 22:07]
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Hi Gert,
Beautiful shot of this house sparrow.
It is hard to believe that it is on the protected list in the Netherlands. They seem to be so common here.
Love the light on it and the twisted pose on the tree.
The details are very sharp, and I like the eye contact.
TFS. : )
hello Gert
very beautiful moment, lightly diagonal vertical frame with litted up colours and the sharp details,splendidly
TFS thanks for sharing
Nasos
Hi!
compliments! An amazing shot for this sparrow with wonderful sharpness and details and a very good bokeh.
Perfect also the exposition and colors!
have a nice day
Matteo
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- siggi
(16174)
- [2009-09-21 1:54]
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Hello Gert,
lovely House sparrow in great pose with beautiful blurry BG, fine details and excellent sharpness, very well done, Best regards Siggi
Hello Gert! Amazing sparrow, wonderful exposure, perfect sharp and contrast. Good work. Good luck!
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- gannu
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 4 N: 3262]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(14691) - [2009-09-21 3:53]
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Hello Gert, Lovely shot and I always love them.The way they build their house and always busy attitude. Good shot and lovely POV. Ganesh
Wow, what a superb closeup capture from house sparrow! Very well done, my friend Gert!
The sharpness and POV are perfect, and the feathers of the sparrow can be well seen in great details. Wonderful composition overall!
thanks and regards,
Paras
hello Gert
excellent and very beautiful photo of the House Sparrow,
very fine POV and the way it is framed, superb focus
great sharpness and details, beautiful warm luminosity,
the catch-light render the photo more beautiful, TFS
Asbed
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- nglen
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2907 W: 34 N: 8619]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(32124) - [2009-09-21 11:28]
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Hi Gert. Somthing a bit different from your plants for us today. This is a bright picture of the House Sparrow which you have taken with fine detail and such natural colours. I like the pose with a side ways look from the bird. Well done TFS.
Nick..
Hi Big Bro Gert,
Lovely pose that you captured here. Nice composition and also fine details on its plummages.
TFS and cheers,
Bayram
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- PeterZ
(17500)
- [2009-09-21 14:06]
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Hallo Gert,
Laatste commentaar voorlopig even i.v.m. ziekenhuisopname.
Een foto om jaloers op te worden. Wat een schitterende houding voor een plaatje. Alsof die het expres doet. Uitstekende scherpte en compositie. Mooi ook dat hij kijkt in de richting van de leegte. Prachtige neutrale kleuren.
Tot ziens,
Peter
Hello Gert
you have take this Sparrow superbly, i like his pose with head turned
the details are amazing and the light and the colors are superb
a very great shot
Have a good night
Jacqueline
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- jaycee
(21912)
- [2009-09-21 17:13]
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Hi Gert,
I can't believe these sparrows are on the red list. I see dozens each day here. This is identical to ours. I love the pose, the wonderful colors and the sharp details.
Jane
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 937 W: 0 N: 40]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-s.gif)
(3215)