Where have all the sparrows gone?

You can help by monitoring the sparrows in your garden

They used to be a familiar sight in urban areas and city parks, but since the early 1970s, there has been a drastic reduction in the house sparrow population.

The familiar song of the 'cockney sparrow' is becoming rarer and the latest research suggests their numbers may have halved with the London and the south-east the worst affected area.

Breakfast's Graham Satchell went to London's Hyde Park to investigate. He spoke to the British Trust for Ornithology's Humphrey Crick.

Click here to see Graham Satchell's interview with Humphrey Crick

We want to hear from you. Have you noticed fewer sparrows in your area?

Click here to e-mail us with your views

And the British Trust for Ornithology wants your help. There's more information on how you can monitor birds in your own garden on their website.

Home improvements destroy nesting sites

There used to be around 12 million pairs of birds in Britain, but the British Trust for Ornithology says that the number is now between 6 to 7 million pairs.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs commissioned the research and it is thought that one of the reasons the birds are disappearing is because of the destruction and damage to natural habitats.

House Sparrow Facts

Wingspan of 14 to 16cm

Eat mainly seed and insects

Found in city centres, parks, gardens, and farms

Nest in buildings and holes

Breed in spring and summer

Sparrows nest in urban areas making their homes in roof voids and holes in buildings, but also in bushes. They are also fast disappearing from farmland.

The domestic cat, Sparrow hawks and pollution are all blamed for the reduction in numbers; sparrows eat mainly seeds and it's thought that we're not always putting the most suitable food out in gardens.

The British Trust for Ornithology wants more research into the disappearance of the humble sparrow, and is hoping to raise money in an appeal.

The public can also get involved by setting up bird monitoring schemes and the BTO has more information about this on their website.

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