Support your Local Sparrow - Part One
The once common House Sparrow is - in many parts of the country - a rare sight. It is now on the Red List, the list of endangered species. Starling and Song Thrush numbers are also plummeting. It's time for us to start taking care of our local wildlife. Showing kindness to Allah's creatures is also a form of sadaqah (charity), and by helping out our little friends we can ensure that these species continue to thrive - in often difficult conditions - and keep the delight of nature's charms alive for future generations.
How can we make a difference?
The familiar House Sparrow (Passer Domesticus) is now an endangered species in the UK.
There are many ways we can help out our local bird population. The simplest is to put out food for them, especially during winter. Many birds also struggle to survive in spring, too. Scraps of bread alone, however, are often not adequate. Smaller birds consume 30% of their body weight in food a day in winter, just to survive. Starchy food, like bread, simply does not contain enough calories to keep them going. Cheap bags of wild bird food are often mostly wheat, with a handful of sunflower seeds, and even split peas (not edible for most birds) and dog biscuits! Therefore, it is much better to buy from a reputable supplier whose food is endorsed by the BSA, or one of the many of the online retailers, which sell at a good price and often with low P+P. They also have larger ranges of food and feeders, and you can then choose one most suited to your budget. Black sunflower seeds are the most wallet-friendly option and a 2kg bag will probably last you 2-4 months in a small, quiet garden. When ground or table-feeding, don't put out too much food, as it will only spoil. Give them a much as they can eat in one day (you may need to use a bit of trial and error to determine the correct amount). Leftover food should be cleared regularly, and feeding stations thoroughly cleaned and disinfected (use a mild solution) at least once every two weeks.
You may also have suitable food lurking around the home:
- coconuts - cut in half and rinsed well, these can be hung on a branch or wall bracket. The high saturated fat content provides birds with a lasting energy supply.
- suet - if you have access to halal beef or lamb suet, you can melt this and mould it in a yoghurt pot, with strong string or wire through the centre to hang it. Alternatively, you can mix in some wild bird seed mix and crushed/ground peanuts to make a treat. When your coconut is finished, why not use the shell as a mould for your suet treat? Be sure to wash it well first before adding the filling.
- cheese - any hard cheese, such as cheddar, can be grated and scattered on a bird table, ground feeder or simply below cover, such as hedges and shrubs. This may attract dunnocks, wrens or a robin.
- peanuts - peanuts sold for human consumption and/or roasted. Only plain raw peanuts are suitable. You can also buy peanuts sold especially for birds. One word of caution: always, ALWAYS, buy high quality. Peanuts can contain aflatoxins, a poison that is 10x more deadly than cyanide. Check the label - it should state that the peanuts have been checked for this poison. If in doubt, don't buy; it's certainly not worth risking the poor birds' life. Whole peanuts should always be fed from a secure wire mesh feeder in spring and summer. This allows them to only obtain small beakfulls at a time, and prevents young birds and nestlings from choking. If you're table-feeding, grind up the peanuts until they are in small pieces.
- worms! - next time you're digging your garden, collect a few of the worms you find in a shallow (but not too shallow) dish. Terracotta flower pots are a good choice too. Leave this on your bird table, especially during the breeding season, and you will be providing a tasty meal for the birds, and helping the parents give their nestlings the proteins they need to grow. The bright-eyed robin is also known to follow gardeners around as they dig, in the hope that the turned-up soil will provide them with a wormy meal!
- soft fruit - such as apples, pears and berries. Hang up onto a tree with strong string (you can buy special feeders for this purpose also) or cut up and leave on the table/ground feeder. This will attract 'softbills': blackbirds, thrushes and robins. Dried fruit (soak them first if possible) are also a favourite of these species.
- fruit- or seed-bearing plants - nearly all plants provide food for birds in terms of insects, but plants that provide fruit and seeds are also very valuable, and will do much to attract birds to your garden. Try fruit trees like apple, hazel or cherry. If you have small garden, you can plant smaller plants in tubs - try the berry-bearing cotoneaster or berberis (barberry) or pyracantha; teasel or thistle to attract goldfinches; a small rose bush or tree to attract insects for the birds to eat (the natural predation of birds on insects will keep the insect population of your garden under control).
The Robin (Erithacus rubecula) is an excellent singer, and British and Irish robins are very tame.
One tip - give the birds a chance! If you have never fed birds in your garden before, it might take them a few days or even weeks to notice the food. Furthermore, they will be wary at first, because of potential predators. You may notice that they scout the area first, grab a seed and fly off to eat it in a nearby tree (Great Tits do this as a matter of preference, even if there are no predators nearby). Keep your feeding station near to cover (a hedge, tree, large shrub or bush), but avoid siting it too close to low cover where a cat can spring an ambush. Other factors, such as having a plentiful supply of insects/natural food nearby, may also prevent them from using your station. Be patient, as in the colder months, resident species such as great and blue tits, sparrows, thrushes and finches will be more likely to rely on your food. Remember the golden rule of winter feeding: once you start feeding the birds, don't stop. Birds will come to rely on you to put out food for them. Suddenly stopping will seriously damage their chances of survival. Even if all you can put out is peanuts or sunflower seeds, this is better than nothing and will ensure that those birds reliant on your supplies will obtain enough energy to see them through the harsh winter weather.
Masha Allah! Now you can sit back and watch your feathered friends frolick in your garden, and know that you are doing your bit for Allah's little creatures. In part two I will explain further ways to create a bird-friendly garden.
As salamu alaikum!