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Not everybody also knows,
that the house sparrow is originally a mountain
bird. And the city for it is something like a
huge heap of rocks. Sparrows that live on steep
slopes of mountains settle in crevices. And
similar to them, house sparrows living in cities
build nests in different sorts of cracks in
buildings and under roofs, but also in hollows
of trees.
As for the tree sparrow,
it nests only in hollows.
Tree sparrows are more
inclined to the countryside, and in cities most
of them lives in parks.
The house sparrow, on the
contrary, is a city bird rather than rural.
However, these habits do not prevent both
species from settling quite often together. In
these conditions, both the tree sparrow and the
house sparrow eat in winter everything that can
be found near man.
Sparrows are sociable
birds. It is especially evident since spring —
when all of them, as if on command, fly down to
one bush and begin chirping amicably.
“Collective singing” is an obligatory ritual of
pre-nesting behavior of male sparrows. Its
meaning consists in attracting to their site as
many females as possible.
After singing, displaying
begins: the males lower wings, extend tails
upwards, loudly chirp and jump “like cockerels”
around the females.
Both spouses take part in
care of the young.
We are used to these
birds: they are too common and ordinary; this is
why they almost never attract our attention. But
let us look at them closely! And then, for sure,
we will find in them special charm and nice
beauty! Sparrows, which you see even at bus
stops, sometimes look to your eyes with such
childlike simplicity, that involuntarily you
reach in a pocket to give something tasty to
these nice birds. |
