CURRENT DISTRIBUTION, HABITAT USE, AND BREEDING RECORDS OF THE HOUSE SPARROW (PASSER DOMESTICUS) IN VENEZUELA

The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus, Passeridae), native to Eurasia and northern Africa, was introduced to the Americas and Australia where it inhabits mainly urban environments. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of the House Sparrow in Venezuela from our own observations and data reported in personal communications, published material, and eBird records. House Sparrows were recorded for first time in Venezuela in 1996 at the port of La Guaira. Since then, records have increased, and we found 133 records of the House Sparrow until July 2015, in the states of Falcon, Zulia, Vargas, Miranda, Carabobo, Anzoategui, and Los Roques Archipelago. The states of Falcon and Vargas included the greatest number of records, and 2015 was the year with the most records. Most sightings occurred in urban areas of coastal Venezuela. House Sparrows were recorded within three protected areas: Refugio de Fauna Silvestre de Cuare (Falcon), Refugio de Fauna Silvestre y Reserva de Pesca Cienaga de los Olivitos (Zulia), and Parque Nacional Archipielago Los Roques. Two records for Caracas, one for Barquisimeto and another for Margarita Island, need confirmation. Breeding was confirmed in five states where the House Sparrow is currently present, and records indicated that the nesting season extends from February to November. Most nests (84%) were located in man-made structures, but two breeding records included a nesting colony in cavities of an exotic palm (Phoenix sp.) in Falcon and a nest under a pile of dead coral fragments in Los Roques Archipelago. We found evidence of foraging on new food items from two coastal trees (Conocarpus erectus and Coccoloba uvifera). Formal research and long-term surveys are required to assess the functional ecological role of this exotic species in the avian communities of Venezuela.