Abundance and Habitat Preference of Roosting House Sparrows Passer domesticus Across Different Habitats in Bhavnagar City, Gujarat, India

Abstract

A House Sparrow Passer domesticus is an ideal model for assessing ecological trends related to habitat change due to its high adaptability and plasticity. House Sparrow populations have been found to be adversely affected by urbanization. Estimating species abundance is crucial for conservation and management efforts. This study aims to estimate the abundance of House Sparrows across urban, suburban, and rural areas of Bhavnagar using the roost count method. In 2017, the highest roost count was recorded in urban areas, followed by suburban and rural areas (H(2) = 16.69, p < 0.0001). The high roost count in urban sites could be attributed to the limited availability of suitable patches and restricted dispersal opportunities, leading to large aggregations of House Sparrows at a single point. In contrast, in 2018, the mean roost count was significantly lower in suburban sites than in urban and rural areas (H(2) = 31.51, p < 0.0001). The scarcity of suitable habitat patches in urban sites, along with the reduction of bushy vegetation, likely had a negative impact on roosting House Sparrows. Bushy, thorny vegetation was found to be an important resource for the species. This study provides baseline information on roosting House Sparrows, which can be used to develop effective conservation strategies for the species.