The curiosities of the sparrow are more than it might seem: On March 20 World Sparrow Day is celebrated around the world to remember the importance of this little bird that goes unnoticed , but that could be in serious danger in some ecosystems. Treating its particularities can change the perspective enormously on this curious bird.
Among the curiosities of the sparrow ( Passer domesticus ), highlights its history with the human being. It has been discovered that for more than 11,000 years these animals were already adapted to agriculture , so it is understood that their expansion is closely linked to humans.
And this animal is original from Eurasia and North Africa, but is currently found throughout the world, especially in urban and temperate areas. It has not only colonized Antarctica, but the rest of continents with a strong human presence.
Interestingly, in Ancient Greece they were considered as a symbol of Aphrodite, and were related to the desire and lust. However, it has not always been wanted: It is believed that in Ancient Egypt it was considered to represent negative aspects such as inferiority or illness , while in Mao Zedong's China it was persecuted as a plague.
An error that cost dear to China: the proliferation of locusts, caused among other things to exterminate this animal , was one of the causes of the great famine in the country, causing millions of deaths.
Among the curiosities of the sparrow, some of its behaviors stand out, such as the importance for these animals of the presence of more or less feathers in the nest , which is related to the laying and the selection of males by females.
Urban life is not always pleasant for these animals, and is that urban sparrows begin their activity earlier than rural sparrows , probably because of the pace of life in cities, something that affects many more birds.
You have also seen how Fear and stress influence their reproduction, and these animals can reduce their placement by almost half in case they feel threatened continuously.
Curiosities of the sparrow : Disappearing?
The common sparrow is not a bird as usual as it might seem: there are several studies that are documenting its disappearance in Europe, especially in countries like the United Kingdom and cities such as London. In fact, in the British country have disappeared 10 million in the last three decades , while in the last 10 years the Iberian census has fallen by 15%.
And that is although it seems that there are many sparrows, the truth is that the species is suffering this fate in many cities: the presence of invasive alien species, the increase of cats or the absence of green areas are some of the reasons after its disappearance from the cities.
The sparrow is a marker that tells us the status of both wild and urban ecosystems. Protecting and studying it allows us to remember the damage we are doing. doing to nature.