Greetings all
House Sparrows are becoming more common in Port Moresby. They have been
quite uncommon, probably because the climate works against them and there
are very few food scraps to be found in or near POM rubbish bins and rubbish
dumps. But now a small proportion of society is becoming affluent and
probably therefore wasteful - and their throw-aways are possibly supporting
the expanding sparrow population.
Towards the end of last year House Sparrows reached the Campus of PAU (20km
from downtown POM) for the first time. Students were feeding them until I
informed them that they did not belong in this country and I have not seen
any this year.
The Common Starling that I reported on campus last year has also not
returned this year -so here is hoping that we are spared that pest for a
few more years.
It would be a shame to see any of this islands endemics pushed out by
imports from Europe. It is presumed both these european species have
arrived here via Australia.
Here is to the native birds of every Pacific Island.
Cheers & happy & useful birdwatching
Mike
==========
Dr Mike Tarburton
Dean: School of Science & Technology
Pacific Adventist University
PMB Boroko
Papua New Guinea
-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Thursday, 15 May 2003 8:46 PM
To:
Subject: For your attention
Anthea Fleming spotted this on the Guardian Unlimited site and thought you
should see it.
-------
Note from Anthea Fleming:
Few Australians would worry if sparrows disappeared from our continent, but
this story may have some implications for our native birds. Land-clearing
for instance.
Anthea Fleming
-------
To see this story with its related links on the Guardian Unlimited site, go
to http://www.guardian.co.uk
Where have all our sparrows gone?
Alok Jha
Wednesday May 07 2003
The Guardian
Into the bellies of the nation's beloved pussy cats, if the Royal Society
for the Protection of Birds is to be believed. But this may well be only one
reason for the dramatic decline in sparrows.
The number of British house sparrows has fallen from 12 million pairs in
1970 to around 7 million pairs now. In London, sparrows have almost
disappeared completely.
Cats certainly must claim some responsibility. A study carried out in
Bedfordshire showed that, over a year, they were killing up to half of the
sparrow population. If this was the sole reason, we should be seeing
declines in all bird populations which isn't the case. Ornithologists agree
something else is picking off the birds.
In the countryside, for example, sparrows have become the sad casualties of
modern intensive farming methods. Like many rural birds, their winter food
sources have dwindled as farmers have switched from spring-sown to
autumn-sown wheat. Also, grain stores have been made increasingly
impregnable to the birds.
In London, the sparrow population dropped by 70% between 1994 and 2001. St
James' Park lost the last of its sparrows in 1999 and, of all the royal
parks, only Kensington Gardens has any left. No one knows why but there are
plenty of theories.
Changes in building practices in towns mean that sparrows are finding it
more difficult to make nests. The results of a survey in Bristol suggested
that loft insulation in homes could be deterring the birds. Airborne
fibreglass was thought to have adverse respiratory effects on the birds.
Our attempts to clean up the environment could also be having inadvertent
consequences on the birds. In the past, weeds in gardens and on the ground
were a rich source of seeds, and sparrows could also forage for food on
undeveloped land in towns.
Lead-free petrol may also be to blame. Researchers are looking at whether
the chemicals used in the petrol to replace lead might reduce the number of
greenfly in towns - sparrows feed their chicks these aphids in the first few
days after they have hatched. The flies are also being eradicated by
increased use of pesticides in town and country gardens.
Finally, bird lovers may also be under suspicion. One of the most popular
dishes of the day at bird tables is black sunflower seed and some scientists
believe that it may not be good for sparrows - stale bread crusts or bacon
rinds would be much better. Additionally, feeders and bird tables that are
not cleaned properly may be spreading diseases.
As a result, the RSPB has mobilised its volunteer army for a spot of mass
birdwatching this week.
People are being asked to venture into their gardens and report the number
of sparrows they see on any given day. They will also need to collect
additional information such as whether or not the sparrows are nesting in
the garden and if they are seen feeding. The RSPB hopes that it will elicit
a huge response - they expect around 100,000 people to write in. They
particularly want data from less populated parts of the country.
The British Trust for Ornithology is running a complementary house sparrow
poll. Though it expects fewer people to take part, its survey will be more
detailed than the RSPB's.
To take part in the RSPB survey, which runs until Sunday, go to
www.rspb.org.uk/sparrowatch or call the house sparrow hotline on 0870 601
0215. It's fine to take part for only one day. For more details on the BTO
survey, send an email to
Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited
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