Sparrows are a wild bunch; they start each morning in a fervour, taking over whatever tree they have called their home overnight. Between 1994 and 2005, numbers of house sparrows declined 65% in London. Overall house sparrow numbers declined to such an extent they were placed on the iUCN Red List of threatened species. While numbers are now stabilising, the UK still has far fewer sparrows than in days gone by. To support your local sparrows, you could install 'sparrow flats' allowing them to breed and live in colonies, encourage insects in your garden by allowing areas to go wild, plant species such as hawthorn and ivy which provide cover, and choose a suitable seed mix if you choose to feed the birds.

​

Spend a minute listening to Deptford's sparrows face off against an aeroplane using the audio player above. Press 'back' to hear more of Deptford's natural world come to life.