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Sparrows – Health, Aesthetic and Economic Problems
Aesthetic and Economic Problems
The primary problems associated with house sparrows are caused by their close proximity to people. The unsightly nests and white droppings are generally considered undesirable. The dry plant material in the nest can be a fire hazard, especially inside lighted signs. When birds occupy a warehouse and defecate on stored goods this becomes an expensive nuisance if retailers refuse to accept contaminated goods.
The uric acid (white material) in bird droppings is both unsightly and can damage the finish on automobiles. Large populations of sparrows in agricultural situations can cause economic losses due to consumption and contamination of livestock feed.
Health-related Problems
The most common problem associated with house sparrows is bird mites invading the living space of the house during or after the nesting season. Bird mites--like northern fowl mite and tropical fowl mite--will bite humans and cause a small pustule, similar to a chigger bite. House sparrows are also important reservoirs and vectors of reintroduction of fowl mites into treated poultry houses. Sparrow nests can also be a source of stick-tight fleas, soft ticks, bed bugs, and dermestid (carpet) beetles.
House sparrows have been associated with numerous disease organisms transmissible to humans and livestock. These include the following: Nine bacterial diseases including salmonellosis (Salmonella food poisoning) and tuberculosis; the fungal disease Sarcosporidiosi; three protozoan diseases including Toxoplasmosis and Coccidiosis; Chlamydiosis; nine viral diseases including eastern equine, St. Louis, Venezuelan, and western equine encephalitis, Newcastle disease and fowl pox of poultry, and transmissible gastroenteritis of swine (hog cholera); three species of parasitic nematodes of poultry Tetramares (2 sp.) and Acuaria spiralis; and the parasitic fluke of poultry, Collyriculum faba. House sparrows are generally a more serious disease vector to livestock, especially poultry and egg producers, than to humans. However the presence of house sparrows in areas where food is prepared or people eat, such as picnic areas and outdoor restaurants, should be a cause for concern about the spread of Salmonella bacteria.
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