Fifty Birds of Town and City
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Perhaps the most citified of birds, this import's incessant chattering,
quarrelsome disposition, and abundance about human habitations distinguish it from our
native sparrows. Actually, it is not a sparrow at all, but a weaver finch.
Almost universally condemned after its introduction into the United States, the
house sparrow not only held its own, but increased in numbers and extended its range.
It now occupies its own niche and is regarded with amusement and considerable
affection in our inner cities.
In rural areas it does some damage to fruit, vegetables, and grain. On the
other hand, it also eats a number of insects that damage those same crops.
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