House sparrow devastation
Click on any picture for a larger view
These
pictures were sent to me my Pauline Tom of Texas. They depict titmice nestlings that have been killed by house sparrows. Below is her email
describing the scene.
Date: Mon, 7 May 2001 11:45:34 -0500
From: "Pauline Tom" <bluebirds@austin.rr.com>
To: "BLUEBIRD-L" <BLUEBIRD-L@cornell.edu>
Subject: Graphic Photos of HOSP predation available
Pauline Tom
Mountain City (no mountains) TX
Some who destroy HOSP have difficulty explaining to others why they kill House
Sparrows (HOSP). A picture is worth a thousand words. By request I will send
graphic photos of titmice nestlings that were slaughtered this morning by HOSP.
Yesterday afternoon I monitored a box and found Eastern Titmice nestlings doing
well. This morning while walking I noticed from a distance a HOSP on top of the
box. I shouted at him and flung the box open. Death! Two nestlings were dead in
the nest and two were on the ground - one with life not yet gone.
Some good will come from this. Some who were not convinced that HOSP must be
killed will be "converted".
My adult daughter (who didn't know HOSP are "bad") was walking with
me. She is convinced. "Let's go kill them all", she said to me. Sounds
like a good idea to me ...
