Note that Eurasian Tree Sparrows are a non-native species. They are relatively new to this area, and the impact on local native species is unknown. Our sanctuaries are managed to benefit native biodiversity.
Jim Otto has a goal to identify and document all the species at Goose Pond Sanctuary, Erstad Prairie, and Otsego Marsh. He submits a photo of each species and identifies them on iNaturalist.
Jim wrote on June 29, 2024:
“Today I photographed a sparrow that I believe is nesting [at Goose Pond Sanctuary]. I assumed that it was a House Sparrow, until I got home and looked at my poor-quality photo. The bird looked a bit like a Eurasian Tree Sparrow. So, I headed back out to Hopkins Road and was able to get some better photos.
I’m now convinced that this is a Eurasian Tree Sparrow carrying food to the nest box. Photos attached. Note the black cheek spots, white band on the collar, chestnut on head (no gray as for a male house sparrow), etc. (This may top my Thursday bobcat sighting while counting butterflies!)”
Eurasian Tree Sparrow at Goose Pond Sanctuary in summer 2024 (photo by Jim Otto).
And on July 8, 2024:
“I wound up going out to Hopkins Road Prairie yesterday. The sparrows are out of the nest box, but still in the area. At one point I had three in view at the same time. Periodically one lands on the nest box.”
That means Eurasian Tree Sparrows are the 271st bird species on the Goose Pond Bird List. (See more details in Jim’s eBird reports here, here, and here.)
This species has an interesting history of coming to North America. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 12 hardy birds from Germany were released in St. Louis, Missouri in 1870 to provide familiar bird species for newly settled European immigrants. Unlike their relative, the House Sparrow, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow is not a bird of cities, instead using farms and lightly wooded residential areas. The arrivals prospered in the hedgerows and woodlots in the St. Louis region.
Jim reported his recent sighting to Nick Anich, the Wisconsin DNR breeding bird atlas coordinator, who shared his eBird news article from April 18, 2023, “Eurasian Tree Sparrow confirmed nesting in Wisconsin for the first time”:
Eurasian Tree Sparrow sightings in the United States (map courtesy of eBird).
“The past week revealed not one but two conformations of Eurasian Tree Sparrow nesting in Wisconsin [in Lafayette County and Rock County], a long-awaited state first. . . . They have gradually been spreading northward through Illinois and Iowa, and in the last decade have been seen multiple times per year in Wisconsin. . . . It is unclear what the spread of this species will mean for our native avifauna. They seem less aggressive than House Sparrow, but their tendency to take over cavities that could be used by other native birds could be detrimental, especially if their breeding timing precedes native species. Their continued spread is worth keeping an eye on, so if you see one, make sure to report it to eBird!”
Nick recently emailed us to say:
“There was a third nesting last year in Superior. This report was the only one with young seen. Jim’s nest is the fourth nest we know about. We are planning a mini account in the atlas book with some of that information including your birds. At this rate it seems like before long these birds won’t be news. It’s amazing to me how often they show up in spring migration on Lake Superior.”
Volunteer Jim Otto takes photos of the species he observes at Goose Pond Sanctuary in June 2024 (photo by Mark Martin).
Jim encourages others to use the iNaturalist app to report their findings. All three Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance properties in Columbia County have been entered in iNaturalist as their own polygons, so any reports will show up on the specific property list.
Jim has yet to photograph a House Sparrow nesting at Goose Pond, so it is incredible that he was able to photograph this rare bird first. Thanks to Jim for all his observations and great work documenting the first nesting record for Eurasian Tree Sparrows in Columbia County!
Written by Mark Martin and Susan Foote-Martin, Goose Pond Sanctuary resident managers, with contributions from Jim Otto
Cover image via Pixabay. A Eurasian Tree Sparrow perched on a branch.
