Bird Identification

[Grimork]

Anyone familiar with a little brown dirt digging bird in NC? It's super cute. It has black under it's beak and neck and white belly. It digs in the dirt and fluffs itself like it's in a birdbath.

[C.E. Whiteoak]

Grimork, that appears to be a house sparrow, more commonly known as the English sparrow, because they came to North America as stowaways on ships hundreds of years ago. I have heard that they are not true sparrows, but I don't remember the exact category they belong in.

Anyway, they seem to prefer cities and towns, but if there happens to be a feed store out in the countryside somewhere, there will usually be a flock of these little critters hanging around.

[Grimork]

Yep that's it! Thank you C.E., apparently it was a male because it had the little black bib. I saw it in downtown Hickory. It was a lot of fun to watch him playing in the dirt and I was curious what kind of bird he was.

Grimork, that appears to be a house sparrow, more commonly known as the English sparrow, because they came to North America as stowaways on ships hundreds of years ago. I have heard that they are not true sparrows, but I don't remember the exact category they belong in.

Anyway, they seem to prefer cities and towns, but if there happens to be a feed store out in the countryside somewhere, there will usually be a flock of these little critters hanging around.

[Will Williams]

Grimork, that appears to be a house sparrow, more commonly known as the English sparrow, because they came to North America as stowaways on ships hundreds of years ago. I have heard that they are not true sparrows, but I don't remember the exact category they belong in.

Anyway, they seem to prefer cities and towns, but if there happens to be a feed store out in the countryside somewhere, there will usually be a flock of these little critters hanging around.

The House Sparrow

The House Sparrow is Not Native to North America
This bird is not native to North America. It is an aggressive species that will take over the nesting sites, territories, and food sources of native birds. Therefore; it is an invasive, non-native species that is very difficult to manage. For a more detailed description of the bird go to this link at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

House Sparrows Attack and Kill Native Nesting Birds
Some years ago, I opened one of our nest boxes to find a House Sparrow sitting on her eggs. She quickly flew away. Something was unusual. She built her nest on top of a Tree Sparrow nest. I removed the aggressor’s nest, tossed it on the ground and crushed the eggs. Underneath the nest was a dead female Tree Swallow. Her head had been crushed in by the attacking beak of the aggressor. The Tree Swallow’s eggs were still intact. How horrible a death...

Here's more about the pesky house sparrow: https://www.gettingmoreontheground.com/ ... e-sparrow/

Hmm? These little shitbirds are sort of like Mestizos: an invasive, non-native species that is very difficult to manage

[Grimork]

Gee, thanks Will for that horrific story. I'd never imagined something so cute could do something that vicious. Now I'm sad.

The House Sparrow

The House Sparrow is Not Native to North America
This bird is not native to North America. It is an aggressive species that will take over the nesting sites, territories, and food sources of native birds. Therefore; it is an invasive, non-native species that is very difficult to manage. For a more detailed description of the bird go to this link at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

House Sparrows Attack and Kill Native Nesting Birds
Some years ago, I opened one of our nest boxes to find a House Sparrow sitting on her eggs. She quickly flew away. Something was unusual. She built her nest on top of a Tree Sparrow nest. I removed the aggressor’s nest, tossed it on the ground and crushed the eggs. Underneath the nest was a dead female Tree Swallow. Her head had been crushed in by the attacking beak of the aggressor. The Tree Swallow’s eggs were still intact. How horrible a death...

Here's more about the pesky house sparrow: https://www.gettingmoreontheground.com/ ... e-sparrow/

Hmm? These little shitbirds are sort of like Mestizos: an invasive, non-native species that is very difficult to manage