Common in disturbed and natural habitats. (Animal and Plant Health Agency (2020). Factsheets for 21 established invasive species of common concern to Anguilla and TCI for either eradication or control. FERA);
- 1.4. Forest – Temperate
- 1.5. Forest – Subtropical/tropical dry
- 14.1. Artificial - Terrestrial – Arable Land
- 14.2. Artificial - Terrestrial – Pastureland
- 14.3. Artificial - Terrestrial – Plantations
- 14.4. Artificial - Terrestrial – Rural Gardens
- 14.5. Artificial - Terrestrial – Urban Areas
- 14.6. Artificial - Terrestrial – Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest
- 15.7. Artificial - Aquatic – Irrigated Land [includes irrigation channels]
- 3.4. Shrubland –Temperate
- 3.5. Shrubland – Subtropical/tropical dry
- 3.6. Shrubland – Subtropical/tropical moist
- 3.8. Shrubland – Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation
- 4.4. Grassland – Temperate
- 4.5. Grassland – Subtropical/tropical dry
- 5.1. Wetlands (inland) – Permanent rivers/streams/creeks (includes waterfalls)
- 5.4. Wetlands (inland) – Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands
Despite their diminutive proportions, they are quite an aggressive species. They can evict other bird species from their nests, out-compete them for natural resources which may lead to their displacement entirely. (Animal and Plant Health Agency (2020). Factsheets for 21 established invasive species of common concern to Anguilla and TCI for either eradication or control. FERA);
They can be a problem around grain storage facilities, poultry farms, as well as fields with ripening grains, such as wheat, oats, corn, barley and sorghum. They may also feed on and damage produce being grown especially young, developing produce. May be a problem for bakeries, warehouses and food storage facilities. Material from nests can congest gutters and drainage pipes causing water damage sometimes. Fires have sometimes been attributed to electrical shorts from electrical housing containing sparrow nests. In large populations, their faeces can be unsightly and potentially a health risk. (Animal and Plant Health Agency (2020). Factsheets for 21 established invasive species of common concern to Anguilla and TCI for either eradication or control. FERA);
Terrestrial. Eurasian and African origin. (Animal and Plant Health Agency (2020). Factsheets for 21 established invasive species of common concern to Anguilla and TCI for either eradication or control. FERA);
Natural dispersal: do not usually fly more than a few kilometres during their lifetimes. Limited migration occurs in all regions. Intentional dispersal: human-mediated dispersal from one area to another by way of vehicles is possible. House sparrows are known to forage on or in trucks and other freight. (Animal and Plant Health Agency (2020). Factsheets for 21 established invasive species of common concern to Anguilla and TCI for either eradication or control. FERA);
Pagad, S. & Wong, L.J., 2020. Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species - Turks and Caicos Islands. Version 1.2. Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG). Checklist dataset. Available at: https://doi.org/10.15468/ytdnvt; Animal and Plant Health Agency (2020). Factsheets for 21 established invasive species of common concern to Anguilla and TCI for either eradication or control. FERA;