House Sparrows in decline in many places worldwide

Photo: Peter Firus / Flagstaffotos

Car exhausts linked to decline

The ubiquitous House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), a.k.a. the English Sparrow, is found around the world, but is in serious decline in cities in Canada, India, Italy and the United Kingdom.   London's House Sparrow population declined by 60% from 1994 to 2006.   Scientists from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds  tested for reasons for the decline which included the study of green spaces, gardens, housing density, cat populations, sparrow hawks and even electromagnetic radiation from mobile cell phones.   The study took place between 2006 and 2009 when nitrogen dioxide  from traffic was increasing.   The RSPB found sparrow numbers dropped fastest in places with the greatest nitrogen dioxide pollution in the air.   It's fair to say that most living things in similar environments are likely affected similarly.

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BarrytheBirder