We were surprised to catch 11 House Sparrows in our nets during normal ringing at the VRD sewage works. This was the second highest species total for this morning, following the Southern Red Bishop (26 ringed). Interestingly, ten of the House Sparrows were juveniles, perhaps explaining the how catch as juveniles may be more naïve than adults and thus more easily caught. But it points to a high breeding success for this species.
Checking previous trips to the same site, we also had an even better catch of this species on 4 February 2023, with 10 juveniles, 3 males and 5 females.
Fact sheet:
Number ringed to date (SAFRING): 17144 [1948-2024]
Longevities: 12 years
Trip report: ebird trip report
Reason special: many juveniles caught
