Date: 1/29/26 11:48 am From: Barbara Schowen <000001bcaf1b722a-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: "House" birds
I am seeing at my feeders red breasted nuthatches, tufted titmouse, cardinals, chickadees, juncos, Carolina wrens, and lots of goldfinches, even a young redtail. No sparrows of any kind. Hmmm…
Near Hidden Valley in Lawrence
Barbara Schowen
> On Jan 29, 2026, at 12:35 PM, Wedge, Philip C. <pwedge...> wrote:
>
> In Lawrence, I am seeing fewer House Sparrows at my feeders, especially since the latest deep freezes. House Finches are abundant. Most notably absent for me are Amer. Goldfinches. I am enjoying regular visits from at least two Red-Breasted Nuthatches.
>
> Phil Wedge
> Lawrence
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Birds & Their Habitats in Kansas <KSBIRD-L...> On Behalf Of Marla Shoemaker
> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2026 12:03 PM
> To: <KSBIRD-L...>
> Subject: Re: "House" birds
>
> I'm on the west side of Manhattan, and like Dave, I rarely see house sparrows. I've had a few house finches this winter and have also had even fewer female purple finches over the last couple weeks. I'm in a pretty heavily-wooded area.
>
> Marla
> Riley County
>
> On Thu, Jan 29, 2026, 11:08 AM VIC & PAM MARTIN <butterfly...>
> wrote:
>
>> Dan,
>> We have very few house sparrows, but lots of house and gold finches.
>> I'm not sure why, but count myself lucky!
>> Pam Martin
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Dan Mulhern" <browndog06...>
>> To: "KSBIRD-L" <KSBIRD-L...>
>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2026 9:12:23 AM
>> Subject: "House" birds
>>
>> I remember being excited when House Finches began moving into the
>> Manhattan area, maybe in the 1980s. Now I didn't have to go visit
>> family in Denver to see them. Once they firmly established themselves
>> as a breeding population, they seemed to displace House Sparrows at my
>> feed/water stations. Sparrows didn't disappear but the numbers went way down.
>> Fast forward to maybe early 2000s, and the two species had reached
>> more of an equilibrium in my sphere of observation. Sometimes more of
>> one, sometimes more of the other, but with House Finches holding
>> perhaps a slight numerical advantage on an annual basis.
>> Fast forward again to the 2020s, and especially 2026, and the House
>> Finch numbers have been overwhelmingly surpassed by House Sparrows.
>> This winter I'd estimate at least 85% House Sparrows, and that might
>> be an underestimation.
>> I'm wondering if there will "always" be this ebb and flow, back and forth?
>> Have House Sparrows finally regained their permanent edge? Are House
>> Finches more susceptible to avian influenza? Questions without answers yet.
>> Anyone else in KS seeing trends like these?
>> Dan Mulhern Manhattan
>>
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