Paul Revere’s words still ring true today to those responsible for pest bird control and keeping their facilities free of birds in the fall and winter seasons. Understanding the history of pest birds and some basic preventative actions to take will reduce the likelihood of bird incursions that are typical in the cold weather months.
HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH HOUSE SPARROW
The scientific name for the English House Sparrow is Passer domesticus. Did you know that sparrows are one of the most common birds worldwide? These birds can be found throughout North America (except for the northernmost section of Canada and Alaska), the sub-tropical part of South America, southernmost and northernmost Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Eurasia, central China, much of India, the western part of southeast Asia and southeastern Australia.
Many people assume that the English House Sparrow originated in England, but there is scientific evidence that shows the birds lived in Eurasia, North Africa, and the Middle East before being introduced into Europe.
The house sparrow made its way to North America from England by way of a man, named Nicholas Pike. He felt more birds were needed in the colony to eat pests. This bird species flourished in the towns and cities that were sprouting up all over the country.
WHY ARE ENGLISH HOUSE SPARROWS CONSIDERED PEST BIRDS?
The English House Sparrow is considered one of the top pest birds in the world. These birds had no natural predators when they arrived in America. There was a population explosion and the number of sparrows continues to be larger than the number of humans.
Sparrows love living near humans because people provide an easy source of food and shelter. This can be a problem for businesses and pest bird control measures may have to be put into place to combat the birds on the property.
The English House Sparrows are poised just outside to colonize retail and commercial facilities that provide ample food, unfrozen water, a warm and safe environment. Here in early fall, bird populations are at their peak. With the approach of cooler weather, natural food sources begin to dwindle and the amount of energy required to keep a bird warm and healthy increases.
Many birds solve this by migrating to warmer climates. The English House Sparrow is an adaptable bird that prefers to tough it out by staying put. These birds are the ones most commonly seen in and around the businesses we interact with regularly. You will see sparrows outside the local supermarkets and big-box retailers.
PEST BIRD CONTROL STRATEGIES
To head these problems off at the pass now is a great time to develop a proactive protocol to survey the English House Sparrow activity around the exterior of your facility and communicate some basic preventative reminders to your store managers and facilities personnel.
Paul Revere had his “One If By Land and Two If By Sea” plan. You can have your “Three If By Air” protocol ready to kick things into action.
Some basic preventative strategies to communicate include:
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- keeping birdseed, snack foods, bread, etc… out of the line of sight of exterior birds
- clean up any spillage quickly
- keep trash well covered and disposed of properly
- remove any nests near entrances or on buildings
- have any gaps and holes in the structure repaired to prevent bird entry
- remind staff that feeding birds in and around the facility are prohibited
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Like Paul Revere, your proactive protocols backed by a good communication plan are key. The protocols will help alert your facility managers to impending pest bird control issues. It allows them time to shift resources to minimize the problems caused by these pesky British birds!