The English Sparrow Has Arrived in Death Valley: An Experiment in Nature
Grinnell J. 1919. The English Sparrow Has Arrived in Death Valley: An Experiment in Nature. The American Naturalist. 53(628):468-472
The author reports his discovery of a colony of approximately 50 English sparrows (Passer domesticus) on the Greenland Ranch (now known as Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley National Park) and describes their habitat. He suggests that the birds migrated into the area following the construction camps along the route of the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad to Ryan, and then from Ryan to Furnace Creek following the route of supply haulers. The author comments on the species' phenomenal rate of range expansion and ability to tolerate extremes in climate. He then discusses geographic variation in the species and the lack of physical differences in specimens from North America, whether from Boston or Death Valley. He concludes by suggesting this is a great natural experiment: a chance to observe the effects of different environments on segregated populations over time.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Grinnell, Joseph
- Units
- DEVA
- Keywords
- Absence (Biodiversity), Animal Studies, Aves (Birds), Colonization, Distribution (Biodiversity), Establishment (Species), Furnace Creek Ranch Death Valley National Park CA NV, Habitats, Morphology, Passer domesticus (House Sparrow), Passeridae (Waxbills Sparrows Bishops Wagtails Cordonbleus), Passeriformes (Perching Birds), Presence (Biodiversity), Taxa Links To Datasets, Taxa Links To References