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Despite being one of the most abundant animal species in the world, House Sparrow Passer
domesticus numbers have declined significantly worldwide in recent decades, above all in urban
areas. We studied the influence of vegetation, urban structure, human activity and predators
on the presence and abundance of House Sparrows in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona
(MBA), Catalonia, Spain. We established 80 point-counts in four land categories defined by
urban location (intraurban, periurban) and urbanisation density (low, high) in spring and
winter in 2015 and 2016. We used random forest models to analyse how presence and abundance
were related to 22 explanatory variables. Our results highlight the complex interaction between
structural and anthropogenic factors and House Sparrow presence and abundance. Presence
increased with proximity to allotments and in areas with mid-level tree densities and no shrub
cover; conversely, abundances peaked in areas with more litter. Predators and urban land-category
had little impact on either House Sparrow presence or abundance. Neither presence nor
abundance showed seasonal differences. Natural and semi-natural vegetation remnants and
the heterogeneity of green spaces are crucial for the presence of House Sparrows in urban
landscapes. As urbanisation becomes more intensive and homogeneous, these green spaces
are becoming increasingly scarce, a factor that probably contributes to the observed declines
in this sparrow’s populations throughout Europe. Human activity plays a critical role in its
abundance, although any dependence on human-mediated resources may leave populations
vulnerable in the event of changes in urban waste-disposal practices.
Citació
Revista Catalana d’Ornitologia, núm. 41 (2025), p. 9-20