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This Morning Outside
by Diane Porter
March 12, 2017
Birdwatching Dot Com
Fairfield, Iowa
It's not just another House Sparrow. Look at that dark cheek with a white moat around it. This is a Eurasian Tree Sparrow, and it's not a bird you see every day, unless you're in Eurasia or near St. Louis, Missouri.
A few were intentionally brought to the US 150 years ago. We know now that's an uncool idea, but in this case it didn't do much harm. The little birds have not swarmed the continent, like their relatives the House Sparrows. Instead a small population has hung on around Saint Louis for all this time, with a few spilling out into the Midwest. And this one turned up in my Iowa back yard this morning, bringing a big smile to my face.
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