Wiegert Steen & Jan Schoppers (2025) House Sparrows Passer domesticus nesting in hay bales. LIMOSA 98 (4): 193-195.

In the spring of 2024, House Sparrows were found nesting in hay bales in Achterberg. Nesting cavities were dug by the birds themselves, and were already present in the bales for about ten years. Nesting in hay bales is rare in the Netherlands and probably also in the rest of Europe. We only found one description of House Sparrows nesting in hay bales in the city of Rotterdam in 1976-82. Via online requests we collected other observations of House Sparrows nesting in hay bales, six nesting attempts in hay bales and one in a thatched roof. Hay barns are becoming more popular again because of their nostalgic appearance and can offer new breeding opportunities for House Sparrows.

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