Desert CrittersTwo Sparrows
- Bob DeLacy for hi-desert magazine
In the English language, the word sparrow is very old and generally associated with the English sparrow, or more properly, the house sparrow. Yet, the house sparrow is not a true sparrow, but a member of the Weaver Finch family.
The house sparrow is an import from England. Around 1850, eight pairs of these birds were brought to the United States, and over the next thirty years, additional birds were added to this number, until they finally became established in New York. In 1913, San Diego saw its first house sparrow and the rest, as they say, is history. These birds are now firmly entrenched in the populated areas from Canada down through Mexico and from coast to coast.
The sparrow, like the introduced starling and pigeon, are better equipped to occupy the man-made niches than our native birds are, simply because over time, they as a species have learned to live in man's steel and cement environment.
They are 5" to 6-1/2" in size. The male has a chestnut patch on the back of its neck, a black bib on its throat, its wings are brownish with black striping and its body is gray.
The house sparrow is perhaps the most common bird found in our urban areas. In some areas, starlings may outnumber them, but in most cases, the house sparrow is more numerous. Their ability to find food, nest and raise young in the noisy and bustling cities demonstrates why they are such a successful bird. However, in the East, the house sparrow is far less common now than it was years ago. The invention of the automobile has had something to do with this, as the vehicle replaced the horse and the oats which the horse (and house sparrow) fed on.
The house sparrow is successful in our desert, possibly because it originally evolved from arid regions of north Africa or the Middle East. >From there, it attached itself to agricultural man and traveled to England, where it became well established. Then, later, came the invasion of North America.
The house sparrow's nest is a huge, loosely woven (remember they are members of the Weaver family) structure of straw, rags, paper and string. Usually, the next is placed in a bird box, above a drain spout or any corner of a house that will accept a nest. The five or six greenish-white, speckled eggs take 12 to 14 days to hatch. The youngsters grow quite rapidly and as soon as they leave, another brood is started. They often will have three to four broods a year. Add their breeding potential to their ability to survive in man's ever growing environment and you have a very successful bird.
The second sparrow is in many ways the opposite of the house sparrow. The Desert or Black-throated Sparrow is a delicate appearing bird, adapted for living in the desert. Unlike the house sparrow, these birds are members of the Finch family. They do not look anything like a house sparrow. They are 4-1/2" to 5-1/2" in size, gray in color overall, darker gray on the head, wings are brownish gray and tail is black. The outstanding features are the two horizontal white stripes: one above the eye and one below it. These birds also have a large, black bib, hence the name, "black-throated". Both sexes are similar in marking, the juvenile birds lacking the black bib of the adults.
The black-throated sparrow is well adapted to the extremes of our desert. It has a great tolerance for heat and drought. Unlike the house sparrow, it is not dependent on fresh water. During the winter and spring, when fresh water is available, it will drink it; however, during the hot summer it, like other desert animals, survives without fresh water by obtaining moisture from the prey it feeds on. In the case of the black-throated sparrow, it is insects.
Black-throated sparrows are usually observed on the ground running around bushes in search of seed, which makes up a large part of their diet, insects making up the rest. Their numbers are far less than the house sparrow, therefore you are far less likely to observe them.
Their choice of a nest site is usually in a low bush, quite often the Cholla Cactus. The nest is cup shaped and made of grasses and dried plants. It is lined with plant or animal hair and sometimes bird feathers. Three to four bluish-white eggs make up a clutch.
If you happen upon a black-throated sparrow sitting on its nest, it may not move, but, instead, will "freeze". I am sure this is their way of attempting to protect their nests, because a predator is more likely to examine an area from which a bird has just been flushed.
The fledgling young will join other black-throated sparrows to form loose flocks,and stay that way throughout the winter. In the springs the birds will once again pair up and begin their nesting cycle. Their flocks are always few in number and never approach the size of the house sparrow flock.
As long as our desert community continues to grow and develop, we will be much less likely to see the black-throated sparrow and more likely to see the urban "house" sparrow. This, I think, is our loss.
- Bob DeLacy is business manager of Copper Mountain Campus. In his spare time, he rehabilitates injured wildlife.
back to table of contents