19th century introductions

Animal introductions in the 18th century were mainly about ensuring continuity of food supply (pigs, sheep, chickens), but in the 19th century, once Europeans had established settlements, settlers wanted to see some familiar animals, and so began a series of bird introductions. The house sparrow, Passer domesticus, was one of these introductions. They were brought here in the 1860s and now they’re found everywhere people are, except high up in the mountains. I love the way these relatively plain little birds show how much beauty can be achieved with a palette of browns.