House Sparrow
- Article
- House Sparrow
House Sparrow
Scientific Name: Passer domesticus
How to identify a house sparrow
The house sparrow is a small bird typically of approximately 12-15cms in length. Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings.
Where are house sparrows commonly found?
House sparrows build large nests relative to size which function as the centre of all activity. They prefer small, enclosed, places such as house shutters, drainage piping, and building rafters and corrugated metal sliding. They will build a spherical nest in a tree or another exposed place if they have no other option. The building material will be stick, with an inside lining of grass, string, fabrics, and straw. The nest will often hold several families.
Why are house sparrows considered a pest?
House sparrows are often a nuisance in urban areas like manufacturing and food processing plants. Gutters and drainage pipes clogged with sparrow nests can back up and cause extensive water damage and fires have been attributed to electrical shorts from machinery housing sparrow nests. Faeces can lead to structural damage from the uric acid in droppings, plus the bacteria, fungal agents and parasites in the faeces also pose a health risk.
What is the biology and lifecycle of a house sparrow?
Adults breed in season (March - August in North America), producing up to 4 broods in a year. Clutch size averages 4-5 eggs but can be upward to 10. House Sparrows are monogamous but quickly find new mates, often a helper bird, if a mate expires. Egg incubation lasts for about 14 days and chicks develop on 14-16 days. A single brood can be raised in less than a month.
Management Tips for House Sparrow
To effectively protect a building from a bird problem, it often requires a combination of products. Take into account the following in designing your bird protection system:
-
Bird species/pressure
-
Building structure
-
Location of problem
-
Installation issues
-
Durability requirements
-
Aesthetic requirements
-
Safety/environmental concerns
-
Cost
A wide range of bird protection systems are available to effectively protect a building from a bird problem with various different methods:
Area exclusions - When installed correctly, bird netting provides the most complete, humane and durable system for bird exclusion.
Ledge exclusion - Large Birds: A system of spikes, wires and spiders can be utilised to discourage birds from landing on ledges. All Birds: a system of slopes and shock systems can be utilised.
Scare devices - A variety of scarer and repeller devices are available
Traps - For humane and safe removal of birds, particularly in sensitive areas
Solar panel protection - Solar panel exclusion kits are designed to prevent nesting under solar arrays - avoids expensive damage and reduction in efficiency due to bird droppings on panels.
Disease protection - PX Ornikill can be used as a clean up product and disease protection treatment, kill a range of disease organisms associated with pest birds such as ornithosis and psittacosis.
PRODUCT SOLUTIONS
-
Alphachloralose Bird Control Agent
990g/kg Alphachloranose
Alphachloralose is a bird control agent for use only in the control of pigeon (Columbalivia) and sparrow (Passerdomesticus and Passer montanus)
-
Vexo MZ30 Solarguard Pro Mesh Kit
Ready to install
VEXO Solarguard Pro Mesh Kits are designed to protect solar panel installations, the roof and electrical wiring from damage caused by rodents, birds and possums by preventing access. Use this solar panel mesh to build an effective physical barrier around your solar panels to keep birds and rodents from nesting underneath.
-
Premium Bird Net 19mm
Globe's 19mm Premium Bird Netting is suitable for smaller birds as well as larger birds such as pigeons and seagulls. Our premium bird nets are suitable for all levels of bird infestation and are manufactured from knotted high-density polythene (HDPE) for durability.
-
Scatterbird Bird Bait Wheat 1kg
5g/kg 4-amino pyridine
Scatterbid is a bird bait used for the controbirdl of pigeons, sparrows, starlings and myna birds as specified in the directions of use. Scatterbird can only be supplied to and used by an Authorised Person.
-
VEXO K6XL Extra Large Ultra Dense Bird Spikes (5m Bundle)
5m Bundles | Stainless Steel
Vexo K6XL Extra Large Ultra Dense Bird Spikes feature extra-long spikes providing 25% greater height and width coverage than the standard K6 model. This gives you the best of both worlds by maintaining the higher spike density required to exclude smaller pest birds while adding the extra height required to tackle taller pest species.
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER NOW!
Be the first to hear about the latest specials, products, tips and ideas.