RSPB Spotlight Sparrows

RSPB Spotlight: Sparrows is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos, featuring succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist.

Sparrows are often considered familiar to the point of invisibility, yet the recent steep decline in numbers of both native British species serves as a reminder that these unassuming chatterboxes deserve more attention.

Of all the true sparrow species found worldwide, only two occur in the British Isles. Globally, the story of the House Sparrow is one of dramatic expansion: originating in the Middle East, they spread along with agriculture to become the most widely distributed bird on the planet. The smaller, more active Tree Sparrow has also spread extensively, following the domestication of rice rather than wheat, and both species have faced heavy persecution in recent years.

In Spotlight Sparrows, Amy-Jane Beer examines the causes behind the decline of these familiar species. She explores their biology and life cycle, social behaviour, and the significant role that sparrows play in human culture, from Shakespeare and Edith Piaf to Captain Jack Sparrow.

The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviour of our favourite animals, enhanced by eye-catching colour photography and informative expert text.