Cornelis (K.C.) Fokker (2025) Movements of House Sparrow Passer domesticus after demolition. LIMOSA 98 (4): 178-185.

House Sparrows are known to be home-dwelling. This strictly residential species moves very little in its life and lives lifelong a restricted area. This is one of the reasons why the nesting sites of House Sparrows are strictly protected in the Netherlands. However, very little is known about the movements of individuals after breeding site demolition. In this study, a population in the city of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht was followed during and after the demolition of their breeding sites. Before the demolition, nest boxes were placed to mitigate the loss of nesting sites. Colour-ringed House Sparrows moved to new breeding sites at on average 96 meters after their nesting site was removed. After the demolition of their nesting site, they colonized new houses or joined nearby colonies. Although the birds found new nesting sites, the population in the research area dropped dramatically over the course of the four study years. Colour-ringed House Sparrows outside the demolition area were highly faithful to their nesting location, although some movement occurred within and between breeding seasons. Juveniles dispersed over larger distances compared to adults, as found in earlier studies. The temporal nest boxes were not used by House Sparrows, suggesting that not availability of nesting sites but other factors, such as cover (safety) and foraging opportunities, were responsible for the decline in numbers. The newly built residential area had not been recolonized within two years, but this might only be a matter of time.

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