Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Earlier posts on this topic are probably found under House Sparrow categories or Other Cavity Nesters

I have Eurasian Sparrows in my area in St. Louis. Does anyone know if they are as aggressive as the House Sparrow or know if they will kill BlueBirds and their eggs like a HOSP does?

I have a nesting group of Eurasian Sparrows not too far from my current bluebird box with nest.

Was wondering if anyone had experience with them. I realize the Eurasian Sparrows are not widespread in the country.

Thanks,

John Curran,
St. Louis, MO

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow was introduced to St. Louis in 1870 and after all this time has extended its range only about 150 miles north along both banks of the Mississippi. Some scientists think its range didn't expand further because their more aggressive cousins had a 20 year head start.

Eurasian Tree Sparrows aren't known to be as aggressive as HOSP, but they are non-native weaver finches and do utilize nest boxes, so I would be observant and ready to react.

Evidently, many people go to St. Louis to try to add this bird to their life list.

Keep us posted.
Thanks,
Rob Barron

Well I can tell you what I think so far.
I've never had bluebirds before until this spring. Had boxes up 4 years. THis is the 4th.
I never saw the bluebirds except one day in 4 years.
The Eurasians, chickadees and house wrens would nest in all my boxes. I would just simply add converter holes to them. I never let the house sparrows nest in my bluebird boxes, but let the wrens and chickadees nest in them. I would always leave one box open for bluebirds in spring. But by summer, if there is no bluebird, it's all housewrens. Other bird houses had Eurasians. I hosted a few of them a few times.

Well I liked the native birds more than Eurasian Sparrows so I began protecting Wrens and chickadees as Eurasians would stake out and build nests in bluebird boxes. So friends of mine let me know about how he was trapping sparrows in the box. I bought the trap last year from bluebird society website. I moved probably almost a dozen of these Eurasian sparrows out of my yard to another location, my work in the mornings.

Yea, pretty funny, I'm trying to get rid of the bird others try to get for their lifer list.

Well that was last summer first year of trapping sparrows. Not too many HOSP, but lots of Eurasian Sparrows. So population way down this spring.

I attribute the removal of Eurasian sparrows to the bluebirds arrival this year. Not as crowded competition for same box so I think that's what opened the door for the Bluebirds.

So I have not seen them bother the bluebirds and they are nesting next door. Thinking about telling neighbors to take it down or convert the hole so sparrows can't use it. Haven't decided yet.

So although Eurasians haven't seem to be a problem in attacking, they are a problem in just sheer competition for nesting boxes.

That's my observation thus far. No eggs or babies yet in my nest box from Bluebirds so that should be interesting.

I know Starlings and HOSP are legal to kill, but what about Eurasian Sparrows? I suppose I could always claim I thought it was a HOSP. I haven't killed any birds yet but pondered bringing it somewhere to feed predator birds or something.

Thanks for replying.

John Curran
St. Louis, MO

From: rebel1956"at"comcast.net [mailto:rebel1956"at"comcast.net]
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 9:57 PM
Subject: Re: Eurasian Sparrows

Hi John,
Hopefully Jimmy Dodson is watching and can correct me if I'm wrong, but since Eurasian Tree Sparrows are not migratory and are not native birds, I can't think of any state, federal, or international law or treaty that would protect them.

Rob Barron

From: Blaine Johnson [mailto:uncleblaine"at"gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2006 12:53 AM
Subject: Re: Eurasian Sparrows

They are protected in small areas of Illinois, believe it or not. I'm not sure if it is a local or state protection.

Blaine

From: Evelyn Cooper [mailto:emcooper"at"bayou.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2006 8:53 AM
Subject: Re: Eurasian Sparrows

http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/issues/nonnative/MBTA-Protected&NonprotectedSpecies.htm

Eurasian Tree Swallow is in Section C, Family Passeridae. I don't have time to decipher it, but maybe it will help.

Evelyn

Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) are not protected under the MBTA.
They are one of three species in the in the Passeridae familyl that are not covered under the conventions. (***The site Evelyn found is the exact site that I would've sent you, and outlines both the native and non-native species not covered.***) The other two species are HOSP and the Sudan golden sparrow.

The ETSP has an established, sustaining population(s) in the US, with the two states listed as IL & MO.

...

Jimmy Dodson
Asst Forest Manager -- NCSU Dept of Forestry & Environmental Resources
Campus: 3024B Biltmore Hall, Raleigh, NC 27695

From: Blaine Johnson [mailto:uncleblaine"at"gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2006 10:16 AM
Subject: Re: Eurasian Sparrows

According to http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/eurtreesp.htm

They are not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but they do enjoy state protection by the Illinois Department of Conservation. They will use a nest box similar to those used by the Eastern Bluebird, but the entrance hole should be less than 29 mm to exclude the slightly larger House Sparrow.

Blaine

I'm going to contact Wild Bird Sanctuary here in Lone
Elk Park to see if they would like sparrow meat for
their raptors.

Thanks everyone for their replies and information.

4 eggs in nest today. House wrens are a lurking
though.

John Curran
St. Louis, MO

What do the Eurasian Tree Sparrow nests and eggs look like?

If you have any photos, could you please send them to me? Thanks so much!

Have you ever see an ETSP attack another cavity nester? Any egg losses you would attribute to them?

Bet from CT
ezdz"at"charter.net

I did destroy some Eurasian eggs a few years ago when they were harrassing the heck out of chickadees in their house. They really are a strong competitor for chickadees. The eggs look speckled brown I think. I don't think I took any pictures.

They were really harrassing the chickadees when they were almost fledged. They would keep poking their head in and yapping at them, 2 of them. The one chickadee lost tail feathers and looks funny flying around. I can guess it was during fights with Eurasians and/or house wrens.

I managed to trap the one Eurasian sparrow. They seemed to not be as nuisance anymore. Must have been the male.

The chickadees fledged last week and I emailed this group about the chickadee nest that had a flap. Well thank goodness I took pictures that night the day they fledged, because when I got home the next day, the nest was gone! The House Wren male took all of it out!
I couldn't believe how fast he did that. And began his nest.

Since then I have taken out the male house wren sticks every few hours. The Male bluebird who is already nesting with a partner in my yard took great interest in the box today when it was clean. Then the House Wren was back at it and the male bluebird attacked it.
Well he was on the outside and the male housewren stood his ground and didn't leave. And the male bluebird then stopped defending the box.

But, I'm not sure if they would destroy eggs but they sure do harrass whoever is in the house an aweful lot.

John Curran
St. Louis, MO

P.S. 5 eggs in bluebird house and still no hatchlings.

Hi John,
Hopefully Jimmy Dodson is watching and can correct me if I'm wrong, but since Eurasian Tree Sparrows are not migratory and are not native birds, I can't think of any state, federal, or international law or treaty that would protect them.

Rob Barron

There are areas in Illinois (perhaps the whole state?) that protect the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, despite the fact that it is non-native.

Blaine

FYI, SOME states or localities do have local laws that protect even non-native birds. Best to check
before taking action.

Bet from CT

Since I knew nothing about these birds, I did a little research - see http://www.sialis.org/etsp.htm

Apparently they are not as pugnacious as House Sparrows and are only found in Missouri, west-central Illinois, and southeastern Iowa, even though they were introduced in 1870. They can fit in a nestbox with a hole <29 mm (1.142").

John, I hope you can get a photo of a nest and eggs at some point!

Bet from CT

From: Bet Zimmerman [mailto:ezdz"at"charter.net]
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 7:02 PM
Subject: Chickadee blankets and also Eurasian Tree Sparrows

Hi John, I'm behind again on the archives, but didn't see an answer to your question.

Are you referring to the "blanket" that chickadees often place over eggs and nestlings? The ones
I've seen are usually made of fur, and perhaps serve to hide the eggs (and babies) from predators
like house wrens, and/or to maintain temperatures when the female is out of the box.

You refer to chickadees fighting off Eurasian Tree Sparrows - have you seen them be aggressive
towards chickadees? I'm reading they are not supposed to be pugnacious like House Sparrows.

Bet from CT

Yes, I saw and photographed the Chickadee blanket. I had no idea. I thought it was awesome because of the harrassment from the Eurasian Tree sparrows. It was made of the neighbor's dog.

Thanks for answering.

I used your text to describe it on my Blog. Let me know if this is a problem and I'll remove it.

http://rubythroat13.blogspot.com/

Pugnacious? I don't know what the best word is. The Eurasians would constantly be at the entrance of the box looking in and cheaping at the babies or parent inside of the box with baby birds. They would sit on the house like they were taking over. They would keep pestering the chickadees.

Doesn't sound as agressive as the House Sparrow, but definitely putting a lot of stress on the chickadees.
I don't know how far they would have taken it had it not been for me scaring them off several times and trapping the male in another box on other side of yard.

John Curran
St. Louis, MO

Thanks John, that is interesting. Apparently they can not beat out a house sparrow (HOSP). I'd be interested in any account of confirmed Eurasian Tree Sparrow (ETSP) attacks. Since ETSP CAN hybridize with HOSP (don't know how often this happens) I wonder if they might pick up that trait.

Bet from CT

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