The London House Sparrow

Parks ProjectJacqueline Weir

Supervisors: Simon Leather

Linda Davies

London house sparrow decline

• BBS data and London Biodiversity Partnership house sparrow survey in 2002 highlighted population fall in the Capital – in centre especially

Recent research

• PhD study, Leicester (Kate Vincent)

• Nestboxes: urban-suburban-rural

• Nesting success, environmental and habitat variables, chick condition and diet

• High chick mortality and reduced post-fledging survival

• Chick mortality linked to inadequate invertebrate availability, also NO2 from traffic

• Suggests management of urban green spaces (away from roads) to promote invertebrate abundance

• London study

• Volunteers feeding mealworms for chicks in gardens

• Increased chick survival

• Small increase in adult population – seed food supply has recently increased this

• Shown food as a limiting factor

Ongoing RSPB research

London House Sparrow Parks Project

• Trials of different management prescriptions in parks

-Measuring:

- invertebrate numbers and diversity

- amount of seed available

- bird use of plots

- house sparrow productivity

• Designing measures that can be easily incorporated into park management

Trials• Running over three years

• Trial plots:- long grass (uncut over winter)- wildflower meadow (native plants sown, traditional haymeadow management)- ‘wildlife seed mix’ (adapted wild bird cover)

• Control areas: - ‘normal’ amenity grass management

London House Sparrow Parks Project

• Partnership with local authorities and other land management organisations in London

• City of London Corporation• Islington Borough Council• Lee Valley Regional Park Authority• The Royal Parks Agency • Southwark Council• Sutton Council• Wandsworth Borough Council• Camden Borough Council

Funding• The project has gratefully received funding from SITA Trust, through the Landfill Communities Fund

• Additional funding from ICB and Northern Trust