A rare sight

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And now we have some catching up to do.

And a post that originates with Betty Thompson, our eye to the sky in Kansas, albeit this came from their trip through Missouri. It's about a rare sight, unless you are at where they are at.

"As we were driving thru the north St. Louis area I noticed a sign for Columbia Bottoms, a conservation area," emailed Betty. "I took full advantage of Tim sleeping and took the exit. It sits on the banks of the Mississippi River. The volunteer at the Nature Center was very helpful and pointed out a very special bird, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Although not rare their range is very limited, which I find very interesting.  According to the volunteer their range is N.E. Missouri, and I read from other sources parts of Illinois southeastern Iowa. But why not most of the Midwest?  The weather and food sources are similar. Anyway they are very cute and I wish I had some in my backyard, along with a few trees and bushes!

Generally, a species that is thriving yet in a very limited range is not very good at competing with the more aggressive birds that surround it.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Eurasian Tree Sparrows were brought to St. Louis, Missouri, in the 19th century as part of a shipment of European songbirds imported from Germany. The birds were destined for release as part of a project to enhance the native North American avifauna. Around two dozen Eurasian Tree Sparrows were released in late April 1870, they bred successfully and gradually established a presence in the Midwestern United States. Typically a commensal of humans, it has, in part, been displaced from urban centers by another introduced species, the larger, more pugnacious House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). Today, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow is most frequently associated with wooded urban parkland, farms and rural woodlots.”

Thank you Betty! And as always, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

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