The Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) is a bird in the sparrow family with a rich chestnut crown and nape, and a black patch on pure white cheeks on both sexes. It is widespread in the towns and cities of eastern Asia, but in Europe it is a bird of the lightly wooded open countryside. It is not closely related to the American tree sparrow. Its untidy nest is built within a natural cavity, a hole in a building, or the large nest of a Eurasian magpie or white stork. It feeds mainly on seeds, but invertebrates are also consumed, particularly during the breeding season. Parasites, diseases and birds of prey take their toll, and the typical life span is about two years. There have been large declines in western European populations, in part due to increased use of herbicides and a decline in winter stubble fields. The species has long been depicted in Chinese and Japanese art, and has appeared on the postage stamps of Antigua and Barbuda, Belarus, Belgium, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, China, Estonia, The Gambia and Taiwan.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_tree_sparrow
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1890:
London's City and South London Railway (locomotive pictured), the first deep-level underground railway in the world, officially opened, running a distance of 3.2 mi (5.1 km) between the City of London and Stockwell. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_and_South_London_Railway
1960:
At the Kasakela chimpanzee community in Tanzania, Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee using a grass stalk to extract termites from a termite hill, the first recorded case of tool use by animals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasakela_chimpanzee_community
2010:
In the first aviation occurrence for an Airbus A380, Qantas Flight 32 suffered an uncontained engine failure and safely made an emergency landing at Singapore Changi Airport with no casualties. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qantas_Flight_32
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
cloud-headed: Having one's head in the clouds: prone to daydreaming, or thinking impractically. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cloud-headed
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Christ whose glory fills the skies,Christ, the true, the only light,Sun of Righteousness, arise,Triumph o'er the shades of night;Day- spring from on high, be near, Day-star in my heart appear. --Augustus Toplady https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Augustus_Toplady