The London
House Sparrow
Parks Project
Jacqueline 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
Ongoing RSPB research
• 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
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
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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