Essex Wildlife Trust has launched the House Sparrow Project with the aim of establishing house sparrow population numbers and distribution locations in Essex.

House sparrow populations have declined by 69% in England since the 1970s. These familiar garden birds are listed as a species of conservation concern.

The reason for house sparrow decline is not fully understood, with likely contributing factors including the loss of suitable breeding and nesting habitat.

As the species is associated with human dwellings, they are often present near houses and in gardens. With the collected data, the Trust hopes to suggest measures to support and conserve the species.

Following a small trial in 2024, the Trust is now making the citizen science study county-wide. The study will focus on gardens and local spaces, looking to understand the influencing factors upon the presence of house sparrows.

Those taking part will be asked to conduct a survey at the end of March and the end of April. The Trust will be providing full training and guidance for those wanting to take part. 

Since launching at the start of February, the study has already received over 1,000 sign ups.

The public can sign up to the trial until 1 March, on the Trust’s website. 

Sign up here

Gemma Cosson, Campaigns Officer for Essex Wildlife Trust, says:

“We’ve had a staggering number of sign ups to this project within the first week, which is a fantastic indication that people in Essex care about their garden birds. We are hopeful that, with the public’s help, we can build up a detailed picture of their population numbers. The more we know about wildlife, the better we can focus our conservation efforts. It will also help us give the public important advice about creating wildlife-friendly gardens, so they can encourage house sparrows to their green spaces.”