Raise Sparrows

[protodon]

Does anyone know if it is possible to raise sparrows to establish a small population where I live? I think I am talking about house sparrows. The common sparrows you always see in the city. I wonder why they never make it out to rural areas. I feel the same way about pigeons but a lot of people raise them but not sparrows. Anyone know if this is possible?

 

[Soccer Mom]

Sparrows are EVERYWHERE in my rural area. IDK where you would get the babies, but I did bird rescue when I was younger and we raised lots of baby sparrows. They were a pain in the patoot: hand feeding every two hours with a dropper.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I think the biggest reasons people don't raise them is because many sparrows are invasive and non-native, like the European Starlings. I know around here, wild bird fanciers trap and kill sparrows just like the starlings. Especially people who strove to bring the Eastern Bluebird back from endangerment. Sparrows are agressive and will pop into local bluebird houses and kill eggs, young, and even adults that are trying to hatch eggs.

People raise pigeons because they are more domesticated and are raised for meat and pets. If you do obtain and raise sparrows, please keep them contained and caged, please do not release them.

The large North American population is descended from birds deliberately imported from Britain in the late 19th century. They were introduced independently in a number of American cities in the years between 1850 and 1875 to control pests. The mistake was realized after they were well established and by 1883 they were already considered pests and their introduction a disaster.[12]

While declining somewhat in their adopted homeland, House Sparrows are one of the most abundant birds in North America, with a population estimated at approximately 150 million in the 1940s.[13]


Feeding a chickIn the United States[14] and Canada, the House Sparrow is one of only three birds (the other two being the European Starling and the Rock Pigeon) not protected by law. These three introduced species are now each more widespread and common on the continent than are any other birds. House Sparrows kill adult bluebirds and other native cavity nesters and their young, smash their eggs, and take over their nesting sites,[15] and as such are major factors in the decline of bluebirds and other native cavity nesters in North America.[16]

Because the House Sparrow is smaller than the less aggressive native birds with which it competes, it is impossible to keep them out of nest boxes built for many native birds. Attempts to counter the effects of the House Sparrow on native bird populations include the trapping and shooting of adults and the destruction of their nests and eggs.​

 

[BorderKelpie]

YOu are welcome to come to my home and take as many as you need. I am over run with them and they keep stealing all my chicken feed. They are cute, but enough is enough already. On pair has made a nest in the rafters in my covered porch right over where I like to sit and drink my coffee when I get home from work. I am so tired of finding hunks of nest debris in it when I go to take a sip. Yeach!!! (they are kind of cute sometimes, tho)

 

[protodon]

I definitely don't want to raise any babies. I'd rather they raise themselves. My area is seriously lacking in wildlife. Even the invasive kind. There are definitely no starlings, pigeons or sparrows. I am only about an hour west of philadelphia. When I moved here, before I got chickens, I would throw old bread out for the birds expecting it to get eaten but it would sit there until some rain washed it away. I don't even have squirrels where I live. I do see the occasional one maybe once or twice a year.

I don't know if there is some huge feral cat population keeping all the small wildlife down or something. I never see cats though either. I do have suet cakes for wildbirds and I get some cardinals depending on what kind it is but otherwise it will sit there and then one day be all gone, maybe from a crow or that one squirrel. I do have a lot of crows, hawks and buzzards in my area though. Maybe that explains the lack of small birds...

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

It is a bad idea to raise and releaseany animal that is not native to your area. This is what happened with the green iguanas in Florida and the Africanized Honeybees (killer bees) in the south. more often than not they are detrimental to native species.

 

[protodon]

I always keep pretty aware of what should and shouldn't be released in a certain area. But then I see seagulls in parking lots and I figure birds can pretty much go where ever they please. I guess sparrows just don't like my area.

 

[rufus]

I read somewhere that people think the sparrow population is being decimated by cell phones. I always disliked cell phones, but now I think I am about to change my mind about that. I dislike sparrows more than cell phones.

Rufus

 

[silkiechicken]

If there is no wildlife, and you want some, you have to find the root of the problem. Brining in 100 birds and letting them go isn't going to work out for you or them if they leave to find better grounds, or die because there is not the proper habitat.

If the water is bad, the ecosystem is sterile, or mono culture for that, it could all add up to no wildlife that you can see.

 

[thebritt]

Quote:
Exactly. All creatures need 3 things, available at all times for them to stick around and make a home:
1. FOOD
2. WATER
3. SHELTER

Here's what I did to attract native wildlife:
Visit nearby parks where the wildlife live and note the species of trees where they eat and hang out.
Plant those trees - as many species as you have room for. Especially willows, alders, and any "mass-producers" (oaks, maples, and most natives with fruits and flowers).
Put in a bird bath (at least 1) and keep it full and clean. Ideally placed near a shrub so the birds have a close hiding place from flying predators.
Hang a thistle sock, sunflower feeder, and regular birdfood feeder, and suet (during winter months). Variety is the key! These will attract the birds and keep them coming around while your plants are growing.
Remember that in the wild, where the wild things are, there is lots of variety...in levels of shrubs, height of tree canopies, interspersed with small open clearings with grasses, etc.
I started out with a practically clean slate on our 2 acres - a couple fruit trees, some cedars, but that's about it. I started planting like crazy - I now have over 70 native (to my area) plants, trees, and shrubs. The variety of bird species we host goes up every year.
There are magazines dedicated to bird watching and habitat developement that are very helpful. You'd be amazed how easy it can be to create your own wildlife sanctuary. Just be sure to invest in some binoculars so you can enjoy the birds as they flit in and out of the branches!