scholarly journals Breeding biology of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) in the Faroe Islands / Nøringin hjá føroyska gráspurvinum (Passer domesticus)

2017 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Eyðfinn Magnussen ◽  
Jens-Kjeld Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Output ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
First Clutch ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
Second Clutch ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
Average Brood

<p><strong>A</strong><strong>bstract</strong>: The breeding biology of the Faroese house sparrow (<em>Passer domesticus</em>) is described based on the results from nestlings that were ringed just before they were fledging. By means of dates and numbers, the beginning and duration of the breeding seasons are determined and the reproductive output is estimated. Our study has shown that Faroese house sparrows produce two, occasionally three, broods annually. Overall, eggs of the first, second and third clutch are normally laid in the beginning of May, in the middle of June and in the beginning of July, respectively. In a season, a female produced 6.3 nestlings, on average. For the whole period, the average brood size was 3.5 nestlings. During the first part of the time series (1985­1989), the breeding season became earlier each year, but then to be later again in the years 1990 to 1992. The first clutch was laid more than five weeks earlier in 1989 than in 1985 and the second clutch almost seven weeks earlier.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Úrtak</strong>: Árini frá 1985 til 1992 vóru tilsamans 347 gráspurvaungar (<em>Passer domesticus</em>)  merktir í bygdini Nólsoy, beint áðrenn teir vóru floygdir. Við at nýta dagfestingina tá ungarnir vórðu merktir og talið av ungum er ásett, nær og hvussu ofta gráspurvurin verpur og hvussu nógvar ungar hann fær hvørja ferð. Kanningarnar vísa, at føroyski gráspurvurin verpur tvær ferðir um árið, viðhvørt tó tríggjar ferðir: Fyrstu urptin er í byrjanini av mai mánað, tann næsta er um miðjan juni og triðja urptin í byrjanini av juli mánað. Hvør bøga fær í miðal 6,3 ungar um árið. Í miðal vóru 3,5 ungar í hvørjari urpt. Úrslit okkara vísa, at tey fyrstu árini varp gráspurvurin fyrr og fyrr, fyri hvørt árið. Hetta broyttist tó tey seinru árini sum kanningin vardi: Í 1989 vórðu fyrstu eggini vorpin meira enn fimm vikur fyrri enn í 1985, og næstu urptin næstan sjey vikur fyrr.</p>

scholarly journals Electromagnetic Pollution as a Possible Explanation for the Decline of House Sparrows in Interaction with Other Factors

Birds ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-337
Author(s):  
Alfonso Balmori
Keyword(s):  
Electromagnetic Radiation ◽  
Thermal Effects ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
The Other ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Electromagnetic Pollution ◽  
The Impact

In recent decades, there has been a decline of the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), mainly in European cities, and several hypotheses have been proposed that attempt to determine the causes of this rapid decline. Previous studies indicated that house sparrows were significantly negatively associated with increasing electromagnetic radiation and sparrows disappeared from areas most polluted. In addition, there are many studies on the impact of radiation on other bird and non-bird species, as well as numerous laboratory studies that demonstrated detrimental effects at electric field strength levels that can be found in cities today. Electromagnetic radiation is the most plausible factor for multiple reasons, including that this is the only one that affects the other hypotheses proposed so far. It is a type of pollution that affects productivity, fertility, decreases insects (chicken feed), causes loss of habitat, decreases immunity and can promote disease. Additionally, the recent sparrow decline matches the deployment of mobile telephony networks. Further, there are known mechanisms of action for non-thermal effects of electromagnetic radiation that may affect sparrows causing their decline. Thus, electromagnetic radiation must be seriously considered as a factor for house sparrows’ decline, probably in synergy with the other factors previously proposed.

Glucose and amino acid absorption in house sparrow intestine and its dietary modulation

1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (3) ◽  
pp. R561-R568 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Caviedes-Vidal ◽  
W. H. Karasov
Keyword(s):  
Glucose Uptake ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Glucose Absorption ◽  
Uptake Capacity ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
High Lipid ◽  
In Vivo Absorption ◽  
High Starch

We acclimated house sparrows (Passer domesticus; 26 g) to high-starch (HS), high-protein (HP), and high-lipid (HL) diets and tested the predictions that uptake of D-glucose and amino acids will be increased with increased levels of dietary carbohydrate and protein, respectively. HS birds had lower mediated D-glucose uptake rate than HP birds. Total uptake of L-leucine at low concentration (0.01 mM), but not of L-proline at 50mM, was increased by dietary protein. Measures of D-glucose maximal mediated uptake (1.2 +/- 0.2 nmol.min-1.mg-1) and intestinal mass (1 g) indicated that the intestine's mediated uptake capacity was only approximately 10% of the D-glucose absorbed at the whole animal level. This implied that nonmediated glucose absorption predominated. We applied a pharmacokinetic technique to measure in vivo absorption of L-glucose, the stereoisomer that does not interact with the Na(+)-glucose cotransporter. At least 75% of L-glucose that was ingested was apparently absorbed. This adds to the increasing evidence that substantial passive glucose absorption occurs in birds and may explain why mediated D-glucose uptake does not increase on high-carbohydrate diets.

scholarly journals Badge Size and Extra-Pair Fertilizations in the House Sparrow

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 342-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. R. Whitekiller ◽  
David F. Westneat ◽  
P. L. Schwagmeyer ◽  
Douglas W. Mock
Keyword(s):  
Dna Fingerprinting ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Genetic Benefits ◽  
Experimental Approaches ◽  
Badge Size

Abstract For House Sparrows, Passer domesticus, it has been proposed that the size of a male's throat badge correlates with his success in avoiding cuckoldry as well as obtaining extra-pair copulations (EPCs), and that females gain indirect (genetic) benefits from EPCs with large-badged males. Alternatively, female House Sparrows may engage in EPCs as a guard against their social mate's infertility. We used multi-locus DNA fingerprinting to examine paternity and found that among 41 broods and 136 offspring, 20% of the offspring were attributable to extra-pair fertilizations (EPFs). Forty-one percent of the 34 males were cuckolded; however, large-badged males were as likely to be cuckolded as small-badged males. Moreover, we found no evidence that large-badged males were inherently superior to small-badged males in terms of survivorship. We compared the prevalence of unhatched eggs in broods with and without extra-pair offspring to determine whether EPFs are associated with hatching failure. Although we detected no association between hatch failure and EPFs, enhanced fertility remains a plausible EPC benefit to females, but experimental approaches may be required to evaluate its significance.

scholarly journals Hard to fly the nest: A study of body condition and plumage quality in house sparrow fledglings

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlène Leloutre ◽  
Alice Gouzerh ◽  
Frédéric Angelier
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Probability Current ◽  
State Body

Abstract Contrary to the nestling phase, the post-fledging phase has been less studied probably because it is challenging to follow the chicks after they fledge. However, this phase is crucial to consider when focusing on the life cycle of individuals because it is associated with new demands: After leaving the nest, individuals have to find their own food and cope with a new set of previously unknown stressors. In this study, we aimed at better understanding how energetically demanding the post-fledging period is in house sparrows Passer domesticus by measuring several indices of a fledgling’s state (body condition, fat and muscle scores and plumage quality). If the energetic demands of the post-fledging period are greater than those of the adult life, we predicted that fledglings should be in lower condition and should have a plumage of lower quality relative to adults. Supporting this prediction, the condition and the plumage of fledglings differed dramatically from those of adults. Interestingly, this difference disappeared in autumn. Overall, our results suggest that the post-fledging period is probably one of the most energetically demanding of the life cycle in this species. Supporting this idea, the resighting probability of fledglings was lower relative to adults. However, resighting probability depends on many factors (mortality, dispersal, habitat use and behaviours) and future studies are necessary to tease apart their relative importance in determining resighting probability [Current Zoology 60 (4): 449–459, 2014].

The Breeding Biology of the House Sparrow Passer domesticus in Israel

1988 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raya Singer ◽  
Yoram Yom-Tov
Keyword(s):  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Breeding Biology

scholarly journals Reproduction and modulation of the stress response: an experimental test in the house sparrow

2006 ◽  
Vol 274 (1608) ◽  
pp. 391-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ádám Zoltán Lendvai ◽  
Mathieu Giraudeau ◽  
Olivier Chastel
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Reproductive Value ◽  
Free Living ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Breeding Date ◽  
Nestling Period ◽  
Breeding Attempt

The stress response is highly variable among individuals, but the causes of this variation remain largely unknown. In response to stressors, vertebrates secrete elevated levels of glucocorticoids which enhance survival, but concurrently interfere with reproduction. We tested the hypothesis that individuals flexibly modulate their stress response with respect to the reproductive value of their brood in free-living house sparrows ( Passer domesticus ). We experimentally increased or decreased clutch size during the nestling period and found that parents tending enlarged clutches responded less strongly to a stressor than those tending reduced clutches. In addition, we examined whether individuals responded less strongly to a stressor as the breeding season progressed and future reproductive opportunities declined. We found that the stress response decreased with breeding date during the birds' first breeding attempt, but it remained constant during their second breeding attempt. Within-individual variability in the stress response was related to the brood size manipulations the birds received in their two consecutive breeding attempts. These results provide the first experimental support for the hypothesis that individuals actively modulate their stress response with respect to the value of current reproduction.

Physiological responses to food deprivation in the house sparrow, a species not adapted to prolonged fasting

2012 ◽  
Vol 303 (5) ◽  
pp. R551-R561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Khalilieh ◽  
Marshall D. McCue ◽  
Berry Pinshow
Keyword(s):  
House Sparrow ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Prolonged Fasting ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Limited Food ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Lipid Stores ◽  
Plasma Metabolite

Many wild birds fast during reproduction, molting, migration, or because of limited food availability. Species that are adapted to fasting sequentially oxidize endogenous fuels in three discrete phases. We hypothesized that species not adapted to long fasts have truncated, but otherwise similar, phases of fasting, sequential changes in fuel oxidization, and similar changes in blood metabolites to fasting-adapted species. We tested salient predictions in house sparrows ( Passer domesticus biblicus), a subspecies that is unable to tolerate more than ∼32 h of fasting. Our main hypothesis was that fasting sparrows sequentially oxidize substrates in the order carbohydrates, lipids, and protein. We dosed 24 house sparrows with [13C]glucose, palmitic acid, or glycine and measured 13CO2 in their breath while they fasted for 24 h. To ascertain whether blood metabolite levels reflect fasting-induced changes in metabolic fuels, we also measured glucose, triacylglycerides, and β-hydroxybutyrate in the birds' blood. The results of both breath 13CO2 and plasma metabolite analyses did not support our hypothesis; i.e., that sparrows have the same metabolic responses characteristic of fasting-adapted species, but on a shorter time scale. Contrary to our main prediction, we found that recently assimilated 13C-tracers were oxidized continuously in different patterns with no definite peaks corresponding to the three phases of fasting and also that changes in plasma metabolite levels accurately tracked the changes found by breath analysis. Notably, the rate of recently assimilated [13C]glycine oxidization was significantly higher ( P < 0.001) than that of the other metabolic tracers at all postdosing intervals. We conclude that the inability of house sparrows to fast for longer than 32 h is likely related to their inability to accrue large lipid stores, separately oxidize different fuels, and/or spare protein during fasting.

Nestling Of House Sparrow Passer Domesticus In Nest Boxes In Zielona Góra Preliminary Report

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-26
Author(s):  
Damian Markulak
Keyword(s):  
Preliminary Report ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
European Cities ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Nesting Sites

Abstract The population of House Sparrows in most of European cities declined in the end of the XX century (De Laet & Summers-Smith 2007). One of the presumable reasons of this decline is loss of nest sites. The House sparrow is a secondary hole-nester (Anderson 2006) and places its nest in holes of buildings, shrubs and nest boxes. The rate of nest box occupation depends on the location and competition with other species (Anderson T.R. 2006). The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of nest box occupation by House sparrows in Zielona Góra, Western Poland, which can provide information about the availability of nesting sites.

scholarly journals Protective Nest Design for Indian House Sparrow (Passer domesticus L.) - with Reference to Predation and Reuse

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veera Mahesh ◽  
Suseela Lanka
Keyword(s):  
House Sparrow ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Bird Population ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Basic Model ◽  
Nest Design

Background: The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus L.), is a human-commensal bird species, belonging to the order Passeriformes. The rapid changes in our lifestyle resulted in the decrease of this bird population during the past four decades. Among the various causes viz., lack of food resources, pollution pressure, indiscriminate usage of pesticides etc. Habitat loss is found to be one of the main threats for their rapid decline. Installation of artificial nest boxes was found to be the best alternatives for raising the bird population. Methods: Jangareddigudem of West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India, was chosen as the study area. The nest boxes were designed by incorporating certain modifications to the basic model specified by British Trust of Ornithology. Installation of the nest boxes was initiated from an area with moderate food resources, located towards south-west edge of the town and was expanded in to other areas in a latitudinal wise towards north and south directions. Data was collected on a regular basis to study the occupancy of the nest boxes by the house sparrows. Result: The model designed was proved to be protective from predators and also well accepted by the public. Out of 570 nests that were installed in the study area, 550 nests were occupied and being used for breeding, that comes to around 97.6% occupancy indicating the suitability and protectiveness of this model. The sparrow population in the study area has been increased with a count of sparrows from few to 300+ sparrows at each roosting site (two roosting sites) by the end of 2020 by utilizing the nest boxes.

scholarly journals The house sparrow in the service of basic and applied biology

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haley E Hanson ◽  
Noreen S Mathews ◽  
Mark E Hauber ◽  
Lynn B Martin
Keyword(s):  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Biological Phenomena ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Many ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Applied Biology

From the northernmost tip of Scandinavia to the southernmost corner of Patagonia, and across six continents, house sparrows (Passer domesticus) inhabit most human-modified habitats of the globe. With over 7,000 articles published, the species has become a workhorse for not only the study of self-urbanized wildlife, but also for understanding life history and body size evolution, sexual selection and many other biological phenomena. Traditionally, house sparrows were studied for their adaptations to local biotic and climatic conditions, but more recently, the species has come to serve as a focus for studies seeking to reveal the genomic, epigenetic and physiological underpinnings of success among invasive vertebrate species. Here, we review the natural history of house sparrows, highlight what the study of these birds has meant to bioscience generally, and describe the many resources available for future work on this species.

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