Table 2 Summary of the House Sparrow’s introduction to Australia
Import/liberation | Introduced to | Time | Origin of birds | Number of sparrows | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Failed import | Melbourne Botanic Gardens | 1860 | England, sent by Edward Wilson | Failed shipment of unknown size | Courcy (2003) |
Failed import | Melbourne Botanic Gardens | February 1861 | England, sent by Edward Wilson on The Norfolk | 108 birds perished | NA 2 |
Failed import | Melbourne Botanic Gardens | 1862 | England, on The Suffolk | 60 birds perished | Jenkins (1977) |
Import | Melbourne, VIC | November 1862 | India, first sparrows from India | 11 Indian sparrows out of many | NA 4 |
Import | Melbourne Botanic Gardens | January 1863 | England, on the Princess Royal | 19 sparrows out of many | Le Souef (1958); NA 9 |
Failed import | Melbourne, VIC | Sent April 1863 | Ceylon, Sent by Mr. Layard | Unknown size possible failed | NA 14 |
Import | Melbourne, VIC | June 1863 | Calcutter India, Sent by Mr. Butler | 2 Indian sparrows out of many | NA 17 |
Import | Pentridge Stockade, Victoria | June 1863 | England, on The Relief | 130–160 small birds many sparrows, 30–40 sparrows given to Colonel Champ | |
Failed import | Melbourne, VIC | July 1863 | Unknown starting port, on The Ceres | 250 small birds including sparrows drowned | NA 18 |
Import | Adelaide, South Australia | July 1863 | England, by Captain Harris | 1 survivor from the shipment | NA 21 |
Liberation | Melbourne Botanic Gardens | September 1863 | Could include birds from all shipments as well as tree sparrows and java sparrows | 80 birds released | Le Souef (1958) |
Import | Melbourne, VIC | September 1863 | Leipsic Germany, on The Star | 1 survivor out of 160 birds | NA 22 |
Liberation | Pentridge Stockade, Victoria | October 1863 | Sparrows given to Colonel Champ from The Relief | 30–40 | |
Liberation | Boroondara, Victoria | 1864 | Acclimatisation Society of Victoria | A small number | Le Souef (1958) |
Liberation | Ballarat, Victoria | April 1864 | Annual meeting of the Victorian Acclimatisation Society 1864 | 22 birds | NA 28 |
Import/liberation | The Sydney Botanic Gardens | 1863–1864 | Acclimatisation Society of Victoria | Birds purchased: 2 in 1863 and 4 in 1864 | |
Liberation | Ballarat, Victoria | 1865 | Acclimatisation Society of Victoria | Unknown | Le Souef (1958) |
Liberation | Murrundi, NSW | June 1865 | Unknown | Three males and three females | NA 32 |
Import | Adelaide, South Australia | July 1865 | England, on The Orient | One-third of the birds survived the trip. | |
Failed import | Brisbane, Queensland | April 1866 | London, from the British Acclimatisation Society | Failed shipment of 22 sparrows | NA 35 |
Failed import | Melbourne, VIC | Sent June 1866 | Vienna, Austria | Failed shipment of unknown size | NA 37 |
Liberation | Across the State of Victoria (see Additional file 1: Table S3 for locations) | 1867 | Acclimatisation Society of Victoria | Unknown number of birds released at most sites. Five birds were released at Ballarat and 14 at Ararat (Sage 1957). Probably similar numbers at other locations. | Ryan (1906), Tarr (1950), Sage (1956), Le Souef (1958), Rolls (1969) and Long (1981); NA 43, 44 |
Liberation | Hobart, Tasmania | June 1867 | Acclimatisation Society of Victoria | 15 | Le Souef (1958); NA 40, 41 |
Import | Geelong, VIC | July 1867 | Unknown | Unknown | NA 42 |
Liberation | Mount Gambier, SA | April 1868 | Probable Adelaide | Unknown | NA 45 |
Liberation | Bowen Park, QLD | July 1868 | Acclimatisation Society of Victoria | 12 | NA 46 |
Import | Queensland | May 1869 | England, on The Flying Cloud | Unknown number released | |
Liberation | Launceston, Tasmania | 1870s | Unknown, Littler (1901) suggests the birds were from Adelaide | Unknown | Littler (1901); NA 60, 61, 62 |