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From: joi@cbnewsc.att.com (joy.m.metcalf)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Sparrow classification (was Re: Bluebird Comments)
Message-ID: <1991Apr19.133714.24381@cbnewsc.att.com>
Date: 19 Apr 91 13:37:14 GMT
Sender: joi
Reply-To: joi@iwtdv.att.com (joy.m.metcalf)
Followup-To: rec.birds
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In article <1991Apr18.150026.18512@NPIRS.Purdue.EDU> tfisher@NPIRS.Purdue.EDU (Tom Fisher) writes:
>We have a pair of nesting Bluebirds.  We also have many House
>Sparrows (Weaver Finches) around.  Both varieties compete for the
 ^^^^^^^^         ^^^^^^^


I've never heard of sparrows being called finches before.  Are they
in the same family?  Aren't house sparrows often called "English sparrows"?

An interesting tidbid I got from an ornathologist at Morton Arboretum:

Both house sparrows and starlings were *purposely* introduced by the
colonists because they wanted to make sure there were birds around to
control the insect population.

	Joy Metcalf