urgent: infos about the English Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Hello,
at the risk of being in the wrong newsgroup, I hope that I can find here
some sympathetic soul willing to help me:
I'm looking for infos about the English Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
1. Is this sparrow part of your local ornithofauna (if yes, since when?)
2. Does it have a common name besides English or House Sparrow?
3. How would you describe the "reputation" of this bird among the local
people?
(e.g. in Germany he used to be quite unpopular because of its grain eating
habits)
4. Do you know of proverbs or idioms that have to do with the sparrow?
(e.g. in Cuba "tener un gorrón", that is, "to have a sparrow" means "to be
homesick")
By the way: The reason for these cuestions is:
In Germany this bird has been declared "Bird of the Year 2002" in order to
draw the attention to its populational decline (besides of being apparently
so numerous and omnipresent in towns and rural villages)
Any information, hints etc. are appreciated
sincerely
Julian Florian
