House Sparrows

SPARROWS Passer domesticus

I acme across an old piece of music, hidden away amongst some early jazz. It was written in 1905, as a gospel hymn and although the words are a little sweet for today's tastes, it is a lovely piano piece. The words are quite pretty also. "His Eye Is On The Sparrow  and I know He is watching me". 







I can't help looking at sparrows now without that tune coming into my head.






 It is very to dismiss this, the most common of our neighborhood birds. It is particularity so when some of those birds are 'introduced' species. Birds, animals and plants were introduced to Australia in the 1860s by well meaning colonialists who hoped to enrich the country's flora and fauna with the loved species from home. Wikipedia has the following to say about Acclimatisation societies.

Acclimatization societies were voluntary organizations in the 19th and 20th centuries that encouraged the introduction of non-native species in various places around the world with the hope of their acclimatisation and adaption. The motivation at the time was a sense that introducing these species of plants and animals would enrich the flora and fauna of a region. These societies were born during a period of colonialisation when Europeans began to settle in unfamiliar environments, and the movement sought to establish familiar plants and animals (mainly from Europe) in new areas while also bringing exotic and useful foreign plants and animals into the European centres.

 







The common house sparrow is probably our most common garden visitor. They are familiar to most Australians although they have not yet become established in Western Australia because of the prevention measures carried out by the Department of Agriculture and Food.