DUNCANVILLE, TEXAS — The Great Backyard Bird Count is on this weekend, as most North American birders are aware. I don’t have a backyard, and standing on the asphalt behind my apartment did not sound appealing. Thankfully, the “backyard” bit is not intended to be exclusive; the idea is to get as many records of as many species as possible — wherever they may be found. So, I squeezed in two short trips today to do my part for the project. (By the way, the count extends through Monday. Have you submitted a checklist yet? Follow the link above to find out how.)

The first trip was to the dam at Joe Pool Lake. It was there I discovered the White-winged Scoters that I blogged about earlier today. When I first arrived at the lake this morning, I was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of Ring-billed Gulls on the water. They were scattered across the surface for as far as I could see, but within two hours, nearly all of them had left. I estimated there to be at least 1,000 birds.

I was disappointed not to find the Osprey in its usual tree, but I did get an immature Cooper’s Hawk half-heartedly harassing robins and other birds. I picked up two Eared Grebes and a Great Egret who was in breeding plumage.

In the afternoon, I decided to walk around in central Duncanville to look for Monk Parakeets. I’d located four nests or partial nests on power poles around the city, but despite watching them closely for several weeks, I had never seen the parakeets. I’d begun to wonder whether the birds still lived here, but I saw three fly overhead on Friday. That convinced me that they must be around somewhere but that I probably wouldn’t see them from my car.

So, I drove to a small city park to see what I could find. No sooner did I get out of the car than I saw half a dozen of the parakeets feeding in a tree. Easier than I thought! I walked around the area and found a total of about 25 Monk Parakeets, and (to my surprise) a yard full of about 50 White-winged Doves. Mockingbirds, House Finches, Cardinals, Great-tailed Grackles, and Mourning Doves were all singing, and I even heard a half-hearted call from one of the White-winged Doves.

The parakeets were feeding some of the earliest budding trees, like this Bradford pear. You can see that this bird’s mouth is full of tree bud. Monk Parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) are well established in the Metroplex, but not everyone is happy to see them, as this article from the Dallas Morning News explains.

One small flock was feeding on the ground, and a police car flushed the birds as I tried to take their picture. They appeared to be eating acorns from the live oaks, among other things. For more on Monk Parakeets’ diet, behavior, homeland, and conquests, you can look through the wealth of information at the Institute for Biological Invasions Monk Parakeet page.

It is interesting to note that three of the most abundant species I recorded in central Duncanville (Great-tailed Grackle, White-winged Dove, and Monk Parakeet) did not occur here in decades past. But they’re all here now, and here to stay by the look of things.

UKARUMPA, PNG — I see and hear House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) every time I travel through Port Moresby. I’ve seen them around the airport, and in suburban yards of districts like Boroko. Two weeks ago (August 2), I observed adults feeding youngsters in a nest that they’d constructed in the fruit cluster of a small palm.

I thought that Moresby was the only place the species has established itself, but I was wrong.

Ere’ere is a village is on the coast, slightly north of Yule Island and perhaps 60 or 70 miles (as the crow flies) northwest of Moresby. It is home to about 700 people — and to House Sparrows.

Every day last week, I listened to their noisy chirping in the morning hours. The birds were very difficult to see, apparently spending their time high in the crowns of coconut palms. I did get a look at one female as she preened at the base of a frond.

How did House Sparrows get to Ere’ere? Has the Moresby population begun spreading along the coast? Several large, densely populated villages are strung along the coast between the city and Ere’ere, so the scenario is not entirely implausible. Or, could a person have brought them to the village?

If they’ve expanded northwest along the coast, might they be spreading southeast as well?

According to one author, House Sparrows have established themselves in PNG since only 1992. They are not mentioned anywhere in Beehler et al.’s field guide, which was published in 1986.

I found a very interesting account of the first sighting of House Sparrows in PNG — a group of four birds in 1976.

At that time, the observers expressed great concern at the birds’ presence and were relieved that all four disappeared. Apparently, the species was not seen again until about 1986, but three years later, House Sparrows were also observed on Yule Island, which is just south of Ere’ere as I mentioned above.

I am curious about the Yule Island observation and will try to get a copy of the old Papua New Guinea Bird Society journal article that documented it. I do not know whether House Sparrows could or would have crossed the sea from the island to the coast, or vice versa.

Do House Sparrows pose a threat to PNG natives (birds or otherwise)? What factors might influence or limit their expansion? Like Moresby, Ere’ere is located in very dry savanna country. Is that important for the sparrows? Could they survive in villages near wetter, forested regions?

Where else might they already be established along the southern coast? Should we be concerned?