The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) can be found in most places where there are houses (or other buildings) and few places where there aren’t. Along with two other introduced species, the European Starling and the Rock Pigeon, these are some of our most common birds. Their constant presence makes them easy to overlook, and their tendency to displace native birds from nest boxes causes some people to resent them. But House Sparrows, with their capacity to live so intimately with people are just beneficiaries of our success. (June 5, 2007)
American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) (June 5, 2007)
The quintessential early bird, the American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is a common sight on lawns across North America, where you often see them tugging earthworms out of the ground. Robins are popular birds for their warm orange breast, cheery song, and early appearance at the end of winter. Though they’re familiar town and city birds, American Robins are at home in wilder areas, too, including mountain forests and Alaskan wilderness. This information, and more, can be found at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (June 5, 2007)
