In European breeding area, the House Sparrow is strongly associated with human habitations and settlements. It nests in holes in buildings, trees, among the branches of trees and in the nests of larger birds (1). In Slovakia, it is a widespread species with 1 200 000 – 1 800 000 breeding pairs recorded in 1999 (2). In western Europe and parts of Britain, House Sparrow populations have declined markedly since the 1990s (3). In Slovakia, decrese of House Sparrow numbers was recorded during the periode 2005 – 2009 (4). To determine the cause of this decline the targeted research effort is needed.

The main aim of this study was to obtain information of a local population of House Sparrow in Topoľčianky (western Slovakia) using the method of bird ringing. Birds were captured using ornithological mist-nets (Ecotone Poland). Data about age, sex, reproductive status and clinical health status were recorded from each mist-netted specimen. 

A total of 364 House Sparrows were banded and 63 controls of marked birds were recorded later.

All manipulation with birds was performed by the author provided with the appropriate permit issued by the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic No. 269/132/05-5.1 pil.

This work was supported by the VEGA Agency under the grant No. VEGA 1/0379/13.

(1) Huntley B, Green ER, Collingham CY, Willis GS, A climatic atlas of European breeding birds, pg. 423. Barcelona: Durnham University, The RSPB, Lynx Edicions, 2007. ISBN 978-84-96553-14-9
(2) Krištín A, Vrabec domový (Passer domesticus). In Danko Š, Darolová A., Krištín A (eds.), Rozšírenie vtákov na Slovensku, pg. 594–595. Bratislava: VEDA, 2002. ISBN 80-224-0714-3. (In Slovak with a summary in English).  
(3) Indykiewicz P, Summers-Smith JD, House Sparrow Passer domesticus in The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds, Pg. 694–695. London: T & A D Poyser, 1997. ISBN-13: 978-0856610912 
(4) Slabeyová K, Ridzoň J, Kropil R, Trendy početnosti bežných druhov vtákov na Slovensku v rokoch 2005 – 2009, Pg. 1–13, Tichodroma 21, 2009. ISSN 1337-026X.