| Transcript: "The House Sparrow is considered to be the most widely distributed bird on the planet. It is native to Europe, Asia and parts of Africa. It was also introduced to the Americas, New Zealand and Australia. In North America it was introduced to several US cities in the 1800s as a way to control pests and then quickly spread across the continent. This move was considered to be a mistake because the House Sparrow is an aggressive bird that will take over the nests of native species such as House Martins and Bluebirds. These house sparrows have taken over abandoned cliff swallow nests. The House Sparrow prefers human-affected areas such as urban, suburban and farm environments. It is rarely found in wilderness areas such as woods, grasslands or desert. These sparrows prefer to eat seeds and grain, but will also feast on flowers and insects. The House Sparrow is one of only three birds in the US that is not protected by law from hunting. The other two are the Rock Pigeon and European Starling." |
