The Sparroworkers - who we are

A couple of Canadians who grew up in England but have lived in Montreal for the past decade and become thoroughly embedded in the birding world. Biologist by profession (albeit a fairly abstruse branch not at all connected with birds) and webmaster for a number of wildlife oriented non-profit organisations.

This site is a way to share some of the information that comes my way via the above channels.

"The problem with the decline of the House Sparrow population in northern Europe in recent years was that, because these are such common, background, birds we never paid them any attention, knowing that they would always be there. As a consequence our baseline population data was inadequate and the decline had been going on for years before anyone noticed it"
(from an RSPB document)

"I imagine no live Yankee would wish now to be without the life and animation of the House Sparrow in his great cities. They are like gas in a town - a sign of progress. I admit the bird is a little blackguard - fond of low society and full of fight, stealing and love-making - but he is death on insects, fond of citizen life, and in every way suitable to be an inhabitant of the New World"
(W Rhodes 1877)

... and, somehow, we seem to have sparked off the antics of Bigby the Birder:

Richard Gregson
Jean Harwood Gregson