Praise for the Tough Little Guy

To the average birder, there are some birds that we tend to see as worth little more than a tick mark on the checklist. They tend to be a given, they are common, they may even be introduced (that is, not a native species). Depending where you are, they vary, but they are birds like Mallards, European Starling, Rock Pigeons, and, of course, the ubiquitous House Sparrow Passer domesticus.

They are found on all 6 inhabited continents. To say that these little feathered creations are controversial is an understatement. Ornithologists can't decide if they are related to Weaver Finches or some other family. Conservationist consider their introduction into North America and Australia a huge mistake. They are aggressive cavity-nesters and compete (quite successfully) with many native species.

They are considered the most abundant bird on the planet, however. They thrive in areas where man has altered the landscape. Walk into almost any large retail store with a warehouse-type ceiling and you will probably find some. Lately, I have been amazed just to see them in the deserts of Kuwait and Iraq. They find our camps, our outposts, and they manage to live off the water we spill and the food we drop, or so it seems.

I was bemused to see one today perched underneath the exhaust vent on a shower trailer, trying to stay cool. No easy task, with the temperature hovering around 116 and a firm breeze creating the effect of having a hair dryer pointed at you while sitting under a heat lamp.

Yes, I understand there are lots of issues around this species. But largely, they are not its fault. They did not ask to be crated up and sent around the globe in centuries past. They just did what they always did once they were released. And they do it well: adapt, overcome and survive. So even if the reasons to dislike them are long, they still deserve a measure of respect as being, in terms of numbers and range anyway, the biggest bird in the world.