The United States released house sparrows in the 1850s and starlings in the 1890s to make cities feel more familiar to European settlers, but the introductions backfired as both species spread nationwide, competing with native bluebirds, swallows and woodpeckers for scarce nesting cavities

In the nineteenth century, towns throughout North America were booming with growth due to an influx of European immigrants who made the perilous crossing of the Atlantic Ocean to settle in the New World. In this environment full of industry and concrete, many immigrants felt the strong pull of nostalgia for their native landscape. In an effort to give this landscape to the immigrants, many romantic societies and civic organisations chose to bring the birdsongs of the homeland with them from Europe.

Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!