House Sparrow at the Fence Post

The house sparrow is sometimes called the English sparrow. It is neither English nor is it a sparrow. It is thought that the species originated in North Africa and it is related to the weaver finches; however, they are the common bird around cities and towns in Europe as well as in Britain. They were brought over to North America and have spread across the continent. They are found in towns and on farms, but not in the wilderness. In some rural areas, they have helped to push out some of the native species such as bluebirds. If I could wave a magic wand, I would wish these birds out of North America along with the starling.
However, I do admire their spunk.

I have shown this cocky little male house sparrow on a traditional farm fence. In many ways, he has a lot in common with the settlers who took over North America and pushed out the native inhabitants.