why are all the sparrows dieing?

Answer 1

something to do with the over-population sf starlings.

Answer 2

Some scientists believe that it is a consequence of natural cycles. If you keep, say, a lot of cockroaches in a fixed environment, the population doesn't stabilize, it goes 'chaotic'. Most of the time, there are plenty of them but, occasionally, the population drops right down for no apparent reason. It seems to be a consequence of the fact that population statistics are non-linear and, therefore, unpredictable.

If this is the case with the sparrows (and this has been suggested), then they will appear again in large numbers in due course. When? is anybody's guess. That's the way it is with Chaos Theory.

Answer 3

Not sure really - it could be something to do with the food chain or in my opinion because we have resident Magpies they kill all the baby birds, sparrows included, in our area to survive themselves

There is not much that the Magpie won't eat. They consume small birds, including hatchlings, mice, insects, snails and worms as well as fruit, grain and acorns.

The report on the BBC says:-

The decline of the house sparrow, one of Britain's best known birds, could be down to a lack of insects and spiders during the summer months, experts say.

A De Montfort University team claims adult sparrows are struggling to find enough food to feed their chicks in the early stages of their lives.

UK bird charity RSPB said measures that boosted insect numbers could also help arrest the sparrows' decline.

This included growing deciduous trees and shrubs and cutting insecticide use.

In August 2002, the house sparrow was added to the Red Data list of bird species of conservation concern because their decline had been more than 50% in the last 25 years.

Between 1977 and 2000, house sparrow (Passer domesticus) numbers in the UK declined by 65%.

Answer 4

There are plenty where I live , as although I am in the country and the farmers spray all sorts of crap about, I have a large wooded area where the sparrows and other wild- life can breed. The increasing urbanisation and lack of nesting places is causing the decline in wild birds ,and of course cats are the biggest enemy which get shot if they come hunting here.Along with magpies.

Answer 5

Because all the hedges have been cut down, and with them died the supply of insects they lived on; house sparrows are likewise dying out because modern homes have no areas where they can nest. Hedges are being removed at a rate of hundreds of miles a year in this country. Birds who lived in the hedges lived off the insects on the crops grown in the hedged fields and helped enormously in keeping crop losses down, so now the hedges have gone, and the birds are all dead, they have to plaster tons and tons of insecticides over everything we eat; the fields are silent, and so are the skies, and cancers are appearing in vast numbers, along with diseases caused by the insecticides. Insecticides are tested on puppies in laboratories; y being injected into them. This bears no likeness to anything relevant to humans, like 99% of these experiments, so the insecticides are passed as OK, and the multinationals rake in their billions while the world dies around us..........safe world??? I think not.

Answer 6

Because not enough attention is paid to the hedges. I have for the last five years tied the ever growing hedge next to us. We have over 100 sparrows all happy and all NESTING which is the key. You need to create a natural enviroment for them as the denseness is'nt there for them nowadays.

Answer 7

One theory is that there is a disease going around the finches killing them and is affecting the Sparrows. It involves the swelling of the throat and there have been cases in certain parts of England.

Answer 8

You dont say where you are but it may be the West Nile Virus. Call your local fish and game dept to see what they say to do..sometimes they will ask you to put the dead bird in a plastic bag and store it in your freezer until they come and get it to test for WNV.. Its a very real thing so be careful not to touch the bird with your bare hands and wash carefully after handling.
Blessed Be~

Answer 9

Forget about the magpies. That's got nothing to do with reality.
It's the HUMANS.
Sparrows need insects to raise their young, and modern agriculture with its use of large amounts of pesticides has taken a lot of their food away and poisoned the rest.

Answer 10

Here in Ohio there are plenty of them,I have hundreds of them at my feeders every day.I also let a portion of my yard grow wild,and I never use any pesticides or weed killers( I have quite a good population of toads as well,and they are highly susceptible to both) I would suggest that anyone who is concerned for wildlife to let a patch of their yards go wild as well,and lay off the chemicals;they aren't good for animals or people,especially children.We only have this one little planet and I think it is our duty to care for it and the creatures who share it with us to the best of our abilities.

Answer 11

because there is not a lot of grass left to go to seed which is their main diet also hedge rows have been removed. there seems to be a quite gud colony where i live but they are getting less year by year don't know why