Female House Sparrow

Reading a RSPB report on House Sparrow's, they say they are demonising, I feel I am very fortunate to have a good number in my garden.

This is an extract from a British Trust for Ornithology report.

Nesting house sparrows select houses with gardens over all other habitats in urban areas, including green spaces such as parks and allotments, according to a study by the British Trust for Ornithology.
The Trust said much of the green areas in towns and cities was unsuitable for the threatened species, as parks tended to be open habitats without the scrubby cover the birds like and few nesting opportunities.
Urban gardens tend to have shrubs in which the sparrows can gather, as well as bird boxes and cavities under roof tiles for nesting in.
The findings suggest that "garden grabbing", or building on gardens, is likely to be highly detrimental to the species, which has seen numbers tumble by more than 70 per cent since the 1970s and is now red-listed because of concerns about its future.
The declines have been particularly marked in urban areas, where pollution, the number of insects for food, predators, and the availability of nest sites are all thought to be affecting populations.