save sparrows
The government minister leading the campaign to boost the sparrow population has blamed their disappearance on "trendy gardens" and an explosion in the number of pet cats.
Ben Bradshaw, Minister for Nature Conservation, told the BBC: "The kind of trendy make-over of gardens has deprived sparrows of some of the food that they and their young need, particularly the young in their first year."
A government leaflet advises people on enticing the creatures back to gardens after a slump in numbers to about 13 million from a 1970s peak of 25 million.
Tips include leaving out food, avoiding mowing lawns intensively during the summer and leaving small, weedy patches.
Suggested treats for sparrows are bags of seeds and nuts, dry porridge oats, chopped bacon rind, uncooked pastry and dried cheese.
Mr Bradshaw added: "The cat population has exploded in Britain in recent years and still far too many owners of cats do not put bells around their cats' necks.
BBC Science Feb.20.04
