Where to Find a Eurasian Tree Sparrow
in the Saint Louis Area
A guide for birders prepared by Randy Korotev
(updated October, 2006, with better map links)
|
Eurasian Tree Sparrow ( Passer montanus ) in Choke Cherry ( Prunus virginiana ) from cover illustration by Chuck Witcher to Birds of the St. Louis Area - Where and When to Find Them, by the Webster Groves Nature Study Society (revised edition, 1998) |
The Eurasian Tree Sparrow and Saint Louis
[based on summary by Dick Anderson (1931-1996) from
Birds of the St. Louis Area - Where and When to Find Them, Revised Edition
(1998)]
Like the common House Sparrow ("English Sparrow"), the Eurasian Tree Sparrow is not native to the United States. Both species originated in Europe or Asia and are in the family of birds known as weavers, which is unrelated to our native sparrows.
In the 19th century, south St. Louis was the home of many European immigrants who wanted to see familiar birds from their homeland. So, on April 25 of 1870, twelve Eurasian Tree Sparrows were released in Lafayette Park in south St. Louis (Widmann, 1909; Lang, 1992). Numbers of other European birds were also released (European Goldfinches, Eurasian Bullfinches, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, and Linnets), but only the Eurasian Tree Sparrow successfully established a breeding population.
In 1878 came the invasion of the more aggressive House Sparrow, which began to push the Eurasian Tree Sparrow from its established nesting areas. Expansion of the city also caused the Eurasian Tree Sparrow to spread, for it prefers suburban areas and open country. Today, there are still individuals in the city and a fair number in the suburbs. Most of the range expansion, however, has been to the north, along the Illinois River to at least Mason County, Illinois, and along the Mississippi River to southern Iowa. Some of the largest numbers are found in a remote location ~90 north northwest of St. Louis along the east side of the Illinois River north of the village of Meredosia (Cass Co.). I have not visited the area, but Anthony Lang, who studied the species for his Ph.D. dissertation, points out that there are hundreds of pairs nesting in tall silver maples along the Illinois River. More than a thousand birds have been reported on several occasions on the Meredosia Island Christmas Bird Count.
Some General Guidelines for Finding a Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Overall, the ETS is an uncommon species in the St. Louis area. This means that local birders might spend a whole day birding and not see one unless they make a special effort to visit a place where they are known to regularly occur. In my experience, the species is most difficult to locate in the heat of the summer, when visiting birders who are passing through town on their way to elsewhere want me to show them one. In summer, I would always recommend the Dogtown area discussed below as the first place to look.
In the city and suburbs, the ETS often visits feeders, and sometimes a few are seen in flocks of House Sparrows. However in winter, Eurasian Tree Sparrows often group with others of their kind. Flocks of 50 or more birds can be encountered in rural areas, often in trees near water or in hedgerows or brush. On Christmas Bird Counts, it is not uncommon to find the Eurasian Tree Sparrow in the same habitat as the American Tree Sparrow.
The ETS is easy to identify, but one useful point is omitted by most bird guides – the narrow white nape collar, partial or complete, which serves as a quick distinction from the House Sparrow at some angles. The call is reminiscent of the "cheap, cheap" of a House Sparrow, but is higher pitched and, to this observer, less obnoxious. The call note of the ETS, often given in flight, is a hoarse "tick, tick;" the call sometimes accelerates into a rapid chatter, unlike any sound made by a House Sparrow.
If you are going to explore any of the sites below, I recommend obtaining a good (and recent) map of the St. Louis metropolitan area, particularly one that extends northwest into St. Charles Co. and east into Madison Co., Illinois. The maps I've provided here will help you get located, but they're not good enough to keep you from getting lost.
Try our new Locations, Coordinates, and Maps of Some Popular Birding Locations in the St. Louis Area page.
In the City |
area 
|
Dogtown. One of the most consistent places to find
the ETS in the St. Louis urban area is the residential area southwest
of Forest Park known locally as Dogtown
(see also Clayton/Tamm,
Franz Park, and Hi-Pointe
neighborhoods). This area, which is about 5 miles west of the point that
the original birds were released in 1870, is particularly convenient for
persons passing through the city east-west on I-64/US-40. (If instead
you are on I-44, exit at Kingshighway or Hampton, head north about a mile
and take the westbound exit onto I-64/US-40.)
From I-64/US-40 take the McCausland Ave. south exit.
Proceed south about two blocks (0.1 mile). Turn left (east) onto
Nashville and go two blocks. Turn left (north) onto Central, go one block,
and turn left (west) onto West Park. Go one block to Forest and park near
the intersection. The house on the southwest corner of West Park and Forest
(6900 West Park, red dot on map ) has numerous
bird houses in the back yard that you can see from the sidewalk on Forest.
ETS nest here. (The circuitous route is required because several of the
streets are one lane.) [Google
Maps]
The Hill. Now you know what
the habitat looks like. If you have no luck here, spiral outward favoring
directions south and west. Look at any feeders and all the little brown
birds. ETS have been seen as far west as Belleville (even north of the
freeway). Although the details are not well known among local birders,
rumor has it that they are also regular in The
Hill neighborhood to the southeast; this area in conveniently accessed
from I-44 (Hampton and Kingshighway exits). Curiously, they are seldom
encountered in nearby Forest Park or Tower Grove Park. [Google
Maps]
After finding the ETS, stop and have a bite to eat. The Hill and Dogtown neighborhoods have the highest density of good restaurants in the St. Louis area.
North Riverfront Park. The ETS is found in the river
floodplains more commonly than in the adjacent upland areas, although
the Dogtown area is clearly an exception. An area along the Mississippi
River where they are regularly found is North Riverfront Park, which is
the area along the west side of the Mississippi river south of the I-270
bridge in north St. Louis.
Exit I-270 at Riverview Drive and head south; there are several
park entrances on the left once you pass the chain link fence that surrounds
the water plant. The first one is marked "St. Louis Riverfront
Trail" (this one also provides a decent view of the river where one
might see ducks, eagles, and gulls in winter). The birds may be
found in any tree. They have even been observed nesting in the pipe gates.
On the way back north on Riverview Drive, check the Trailnet parking lot
at the base of the old Chain or Rocks bridge. On some old maps,
North Riverfront Park is designated Chain of Rocks Park. See also
the "st. louis riverfront trail" and "old chain of rocks
bridge" sections of Trailnet. [Google
Maps]
The Riverlands Environmental Demonstration Area (below) can be reached in 20 minutes by heading west on I-270, then north on MO-367.
November, 2009: The last couple of times I was at North Riverfront Park, both in winter, I failed to find any ETS. However, a nearby reliable place is the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, about 3 miles to the north. Check the bird feeders at the headquarters. (The feeders may not be stocked in summer.
St. Louis County, Missouri |
area
|
Locally, the ETS can be found in many of the suburban areas of St. Louis Co., although many reliable locations are in private yards with feeders. They occur regularly at the home of a knowledgeable local birder, Mr. Bill Rowe of Webster Groves, who is willing to have visiting birders watch his feeders. Call him at (314) 962-0544 for directions. His home is conveniently located within 5 minutes of I-44. Below are several publicly accessible sites.
Wehner Park. A local birder told me about this
spot in Shrewsbury recently. I had never been to Wehner Park, but
I was able to find 3 Eurasian Tree Sparrows within 4 minutes of parking
my car on my first visit in late August of 1998.
This small park is easily accessible from I-44. If westbound, exit
at Shrewsbury (exit 283) and make the clockwise 3/4 circle that takes
you over the freeway heading south on Shrewsbury. After about 3
blocks, turn right onto Murdoch (at the light) and after about 4 short
blocks, turn left onto Wilshusen Ave. If eastbound, exit at the
Murdoch Ave. - Laclede Station Road exit (exit 282). You will encounter
a confusing maze of intersections, but your goal is to proceed as nearly
straight ahead as you can. Stay to the right side of the exit lane.
When the lane becomes two lanes, continue straight (which is actually
a slight angle to the right), crossing Laclede Station Road and Murdoch
Avenue. If you haven't turned, you should be heading south on Wilshusen
Ave. Proceed a few short blocks south on Wilshusen, which dead-ends in
the park. If you happen to end up going south on Laclede Station
Road, just continue and turn left on Weil or Kenridge. Proceed east
on either street for a block and turn right on Wilshusen. [Google
Maps]
Grant's Trail. Grant's trail
was purchased by Trailnet, Inc.
under the Rails to Trails Act . Presently, it is a 6-mile
trail largely running along Gravois Creek in south St. Louis Co.
Although I have net yet visited the site, the April/May 1998 issue of
Trail Notes, Trailnet's newsletter, says "The ETS has been
found consistently along the section of the Trail between the Orlando
Gardens parking lot and Reavis Barracks Road [about 1 mile long].
Birds were seen this winter and spring on the Trail itself and in adjacent
backyards" This location is particularly convenient for persons
passing through St. Louis on I-55. [Google
Maps] See also www.BikeGrantsTrail.com
October, 2006: A correspondant informed me the Eurasian Tree Sparrows could be found in south St. Louis at Mathilde Park. [Google Maps]
 |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrows (photo by Dennis Roach). Click on image for enlargement. |
Aubuchon Road. ETS also occur in the Missouri River
floodplain in the northwest part of the county.
This area is close to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport,
although you will need a car. From the airport, head west on I-70 for
about 3.5 miles, then north on I-270 for 2 miles (stay in right lane once
on I-270), and west on MO-370. After about 3 miles, exit MO-370 at the
Earth City Expressway. At the light at the bottom of the off ramp, turn
right onto Missouri Bottom Rd. and generally head east. When Aubuchon
Road is encountered, continue straight ahead on it. Explore all side roads,
farmyards, ball fields, and the area of St. Stanislaus Park and St. Stanislaus
Conservation Area (Missouri Dept. of Conservation). After passing the
conservation area, the road (now Charbonier Rd.) heads up the bluff, so
the parking lot of the conservation area is a good place to turn around
and backtrack. [Google
Maps]
"Little Creve Coeur Lake." The "
Little Creve Coeur Lake" area (the unofficial name of a wetland southwest
of Creve Coeur Lake) has been one of the most reliable locations at which
to find ETS recently (1999-2002). Also, it is one of the closest
areas to the airport. To get there, locate the intersection of
Olive Blvd. (also called Olive St.) and I-270 on a St. Louis area map
(green
circle on ). This intersection is on the west leg of the I-270 loop, three
exits (exit 14) south of the I-270/I-70 intersection. Head west
on Olive Blvd. exactly 2.0 miles to Creve Coeur Mill Road (Royal Bank
building on the right). Go right (north) on Creve Coeur Mill Road
1.3 miles and locate the driveway and sign for the "Seeger West County
Golf Range" on your left, over the railroad tracks. Enter the
driving range driveway and go to the back where you will see two red buildings.
Park in front of the red space on either barn being careful not to block
the big white doors. The doors are used as entries for County Park Department
employees to gain access to equipment stored therein. The ETS will
be somewhere within 100 yards of the first red building. Frequently
they are on the ground in the grove of trees that you drove through just
before the red buildings. They nest in an old dead tree in that
grove. Little Creve Coeur Lake itself lies in the flood plain below the
red buildings. The dike road on the left side of the lake has provided
very good birding, especially during the spring and fall migration seasons.
[Google
Maps ]
2006: At this time there is some question about ownership
of this property. WGNSS and the St. Louis Audubon Society have an agreement
with the local police that birders are welcome. If you are questioned
by police, tell them you're looking for birds. Things may change.
2007: This area is no longer available for birding.
St. Charles County, Missouri |
area
|
Orchard Farm Christmas Bird Count Circle. Another consistent
place to find the ETS is the floodplain between the Mississippi and Missouri
Rivers in eastern St. Charles Co. Much of this area, as well as part of
the Aubuchon Rd. area of St. Louis Co. discussed above, is in the Orchard
Farm Christmas Bird Count circle.
I have compiled this CBC for 12 years. The count routinely reports
the highest numbers of Eurasian Tree Sparrows of any CBC in Missouri;
typically 20-30 observers see 100-300 birds (more than 700 were seen on
January 3, 2000). The count is held on a single day, usually around New
Year’s day. [Google
Maps]
The birds are usually seen in shrubs and trees along roadsides, in farmyards, in trees near the big rivers, and in weedy fields. They are usually not found in deep riverbottom forests or open fields that have no cover. In winter, it is not uncommon to find flocks of a few to several dozen birds. Again, your chance of finding an ETS here in summer is less than in other times of the year, although they are undoubtedly present.
It is probably not worth visiting this area unless you have half a day to spend and you want to combine your ETS search with other birding. The floodplain is a good place to find raptors and Lapland Longspurs in winter, and shorebirds in spring and fall (if it’s been wet but not too wet). The area is described in detail in Birds of the St. Louis Area – Where and When to Find Them, but here are a some brief guidelines.
 |
I have never failed (well, almost never) to find a
Eurasian Tree Sparrow in the brush pile at the parking lot of the
Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area [MTC HQ on ;
Google
Maps]. (Photo by Randy Korotev, October, 2006, at MTC) |
MO-94 is the main route through the county (blue road on
). From the west, follow the directions for the Aubuchon Rd. area, above,
but continue west on MO-370 across the Missouri River and take the first
exit, MO-94 east. Your route will be north, then east along or paralleling
MO-94 until the roads ends at US-67 north of St. Louis at West Alton.
MO-94 itself is not birder friendly because it is a busy road with no
shoulders, but there are numerous side roads to explore. You will need
a good map. Two areas worth exploring are the Marais Temps Clair
Conservation Area (access on south side off Island Rd. )
and Grafton Ferry Rd., where it dead ends at the Mississippi River. When
you get to US-67, head north and visit the Riverlands Environmental Demonstration
area. Alternatively, visit Riverlands first, then drive MO-94 from east
to west to St. Charles.
Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary (formerly, Riverlands Environmental
Demonstration Area) . "Riverlands" was created by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers as part of the building of new Lock and Dam
26R on the Mississippi River. Since its opening, it has become the premier
place in the St. Louis area to see water related birds. It is the most
accessible place in the area to see large numbers of Bald Eagles in winter.
A remarkable list of rarities have been seen including Neotropic Cormorant,
Wood Stork, Black-necked Stilt and most of the 19 species of gulls that
have been seen in the St. Louis area. The area is described in detail
in Birds of the St. Louis Area – Where and When to Find Them.
Because the main road through Riverlands runs east-west and the river
is to the north, viewing conditions at Riverlands are usually always favorable
when the sun is shining.
There are few trees in any of the accessible areas of Riverlands, so this is not a good place to find ETS in the nesting season. However, birders looking for more exotic fare often report seeing Eurasian Tree Sparrows in the weedy fields other times of the year. The Corps has bird feeders at the Visitors Center that often attract ETS.
To reach Riverlands from I-270 north of the city, head north on MO-367
(toward Alton, IL), which becomes US-67 in north St. Louis Co. Cross the
Missouri River and continue north (you will pass the east end of MO-94
near West Alton). Turn right (east) just past the Fisca service station
(R on this ;
detail map ).
If you miss this turn, enjoy your trip over the Mississippi River on the
beautiful Clark bridge into Alton, Illinois. [Google
Maps]
Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois |
area
|
Horseshoe Lake area. Horseshoe Lake is in the Mississippi
River floodplain just east of downtown St. Louis. ETS are routinely found
around the lake, in adjacent agricultural areas, and even in semi-industrial
areas south of the lake. Because this area is near I-55, I-64, and I-70,
it is a convenient persons passing through St. Louis, either east to west
or north to south.
From downtown St. Louis, head east on I-55/70. Exit at IL-111 (blue
road on
) and head north about two miles to Horseshoe Lake State Park. Explore
trees along the road running along the lakeshore, both north and south
(birds were present here in Sept., 2000, just west of the headquarters
building). In particular, cross the causeway to Walker’s Island and
check the trees in the area of the parking lot just after reaching the
island (HL on
). ETS have nested in the big cottonwoods, although this spot has
been less reliable of late. [Google
Maps]
If you don’t have luck at Walker's island, return to IL-111, turn
south (right), proceed 0.2 miles, and then turn left onto Schoolhouse
Rd. After 0.4 miles, turn right onto Bruns Rd. Check the wires and farmyards.
This has been a consistent stretch of road for ETS in recent years. Bruns
Rd. ends at a T with Bishoff Rd. A left turn loops around back to a point
north on Bruns Rd. A right turn brings you to Sand Prairie Rd. At Sand
Prairie Rd. you can turn right to return to IL-111 (red loop on
) or left to go to the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. This site is
a worthwhile visit and one of the most interesting cultural features in
the area. Twenty years ago, ETS could be found nesting in the trees around
the old visitor’s center. It is likely that some are still
in the area, but I have heard no reports for many years.
Frank Holten State Park. Frank Holten State Park, near
Centreville, IL, has historically been one of the most consistent places
to find the ETS. I saw my first ETS there in 1977 and on my last visit
in May 1998 I saw several in a small tree in a parking lot near one of
the lakes. The park is big and difficult to describe; birder intuition
is required. The main road through the park has many pulloffs and parking
lots to explore.
Holten Park is a few miles south of Horseshoe Lake and easily accessible
from downtown St. Louis via I-64, then south on IL-111. From Horseshoe
Lake, just head south on IL-111 (blue road on
). I saw an ETS in a parking lot in a semi-industrial area along this
route once). For I-55 (Chicago-Memphis) travelers who choose to avoid
St. Louis by using I-255, which bisects Holten park, this is the most
convenient place to look for the ETS. Take exit 19 from I-255 and follow
the signs. [Google
Maps]
Jersey and Calhoun Counties, Illinois |
area
|
Jersey Co. ETS have been seen (east to west) in Elsah (check
the feeders), Grafton, and near the river in Pere Marquette State Park
[Google
Maps]. To be honest, I have never seen one at any of these places,
but I haven't tried hard.
Calhoun Co. The most inaccessible good area to find the
ETS in the St. Louis area is southern Calhoun Co. [Google
Maps] The county, in effect, is a peninsula between the Mississippi
and Illinois Rivers. The area can be reached from Alton by taking the
Great River Road west and crossing the Illinois river on the free ferry
just west of Grafton (F on
). Start looking for the ETS at the ferry landing and along the road that
runs along the river on the Calhoun Co. side. [Google
Maps]
The main attraction here is the Two
Rivers (Mark Twain) National Wildlife Refuge, and my experience with
this area again is largely in winter during the Pere Marquette Christmas
Bird Count. While surveying the refuge and adjacent upland areas, we typically
find about 50 ETS. We always find some around the refuge headquarters
[2RIVERS-HQ on ;
Google
Maps]
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Paul Bauer, Mike Flieg, Herb Grench, Ken Hartung, Anthony Lang, Bob Lamberton, John Solodar, Dennis Roach, Bill Rowe, Claudia Spener, and Bob Wells for providing information and directions.
References
Lang, Anthony (1992) The Eurasian Tree Sparrow population in North America: Evolving and expanding. Birders Journal, vol. 1, 298-307.
Widmann, Otto (1909) Summer Birds of Shaw's Garden, Twentieth Annual Report of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 59–62.
Last updated: 26-Feb-2011