Although they forage mostly on the ground in open areas, these sparrows will perch on weed stalks to take seeds and will search tree barks for insects. The House Sparrow has been commended for feeding on insect species considered to be pests, such as moths, cabbage worms, and cotton caterpillars (Burleigh 1958, Sprunt and Chamberlain 1970, in Aguirre and Poss, 2000). Where available, House Sparrows also feed on cultivated grains, fruits and vegetables. The diet of nestlings may be up to 70% animal food to encourage rapid growth (McLoughlin). Their diet consists of 60% livestock feed (corn, wheat, oats, etc.), 18% cereals (grains from fields and in storage), 17% weed seeds, and 4% insects. House Sparrows were imported into the US from Europe around 1850 to help with the control of insects, but it has since been found that they are not as insectivorous as once thought. House Sparrows are common in cities and around farms but are not found in forests. The domesticus comes from the close association with humans. Passer means that it is a passerine or a perching bird. The House Sparrow ( Passer domesticus, or HOSP) is sometimes called the English Sparrow, domestic sparrow, gamin, tramp or hoodlum. Today, the House Sparrow is the world’s most abundant songbird, and it can be found on every continent except Antarctica. You can download this picture by Lisa Solonynko at.
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