The Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow by Jan Thornhill

In this exquisite nonfiction picture book, author/illustrator Jan Thornhill explores the relationship between humans and the ubiquitous House Sparrow.

House Sparrows have lived around humans for more than ten thousand years. Despite the efforts to remove sparrows, they continue to thrive because they are so adaptable. In prehistoric times, another species of sparrow lived in the wild, in the Middle East. Every year it migrated. Then about twelve thousand years ago, as humans settled into an agrarian lifestyle, growing grain, the sparrow no longer needed to migrate to find food. Instead of building nests in the wild, it began to build them in the dwellings of humans, near wheat and oat fields.

The House Sparrow followed humans as they switched to an agriculture lifestyle, spreading from the Middle East into India, North Africa and Europe.As human settlements grew larger, from villages to towns and cities, the House Sparrow adapted, finding new ways to nest and feed. Their numbers increased to the point that they were considered a pest.

There is archeological evidence to show that the House Sparrow was used as a food source for humans and their pets.  An Egyptian tomb contained a falcon mummy with the remains of a House Sparrow in its stomach.

The House Sparrow's ability to adapt is shown by its spread throughout Britain. In 50 B.C. there were no House Sparrows in the British Isles. By the time the Roman army left Britain, four hundred years later, they were found everywhere on the island, likely brought across the English Channel by Roman ships.

As time marched on, the House Sparrow's ability to breed rapidly and in large numbers resulted in them being seen as a pest. Efforts in Europe to control their numbers were mostly unsuccessful. 

In the New World, the Americas and in Australia, there were still no House Sparrows. However, many new immigrants in America missed the song of the House Sparrow and it was finally successfully introduced in 1852. As with every other country, at first the House Sparrow was welcomed. But as its numbers increased drastically, it soon became a competitor for farmers and a nuisance in cities. This created a division in American society: some wanted to rid cities of the House Sparrow while others claimed their cheerful chirping and playful ways were beneficial. 

Despite a deliberate attempt to destroy House Sparrow nests and kill as many birds as possible, the population continued to grow. Until the beginning of the 20th century when the automobile began to replace horses. At this time, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, a close relative of the House Sparrow, began to increase and become more widespread. In China there were so many Eurasian Tree Sparrows that in 1958 Chairman Mao declared a campaign to rid the country of the bird. Over one billion sparrows were killed. However, with the sparrows gone, insects destroyed China's crops and over the next three years, thirty million people starved. The drastic reduction in sparrows was a significant factor in the famine.

Despite this massive cull, by 1970 there were at least a billion of the House Sparrow and the Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Then the population of these two species began to decline drastically. It was listed as an endangered species. Scientist began to seek answers as to why the sparrows were not surviving. Part of that reason may be that we have changed how we live and the type of buildings we construct. Perhaps, like the canary in the coal mine, the decline of the house sparrow is indicative of some serious environmental issue. The House Sparrow is very adaptable and its population seems to now be recovering slightly.

Discussion

The Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow details the story of the House Sparrow and its close relationship to humans through the centuries. The story is a fascinating one that most readers are unlikely to know much about. Acclaimed author, Jan Thornhill includes information about the House Sparrow's unusual behaviours, such as pushing the eggs and nestlings of other birds out of nest boxes as well as some of the bird's unique ability to adapt. For example, Thornhill writes, "It has learned to stay up after dark to catch insects attracted by artificial lights. It has discovered that it can control the parasites that trouble its young by adding nicotine-laden cigarette butts to its nests. It has even learned how to open doors." Accompanying each page of detailed text are digitally created illustrations by the author.

Thornhill has included a world map showing the distribution of the House Sparrow, a description of it's life cycle and a Glossary. There is also an interesting section titled, Wild Animals That Choose To Live With Us which features a list of animals who live in close proximity to humans and have developed some skills to help them do so. This picture book also contains a Resources section, and Selected References. The Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow is a book for young readers interested in birds and the natural world.

Book Details:

The Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow by Jan Thornhill
Toronto: Groundwood Books   2018