Harris's Sparrow
The Sparrow
Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)
A little bird, with plumage brown,
Beside my window flutters down,
A moment chirps its little strain,
Ten taps upon my window-pane,
And chirps again, and hops along,
To call my notice to its song;
But I work on, nor heed its lay,
Till, in neglect, it flies away.
So birds of peace and hope and love
Come fluttering earthward from above,
To settle on life's window-sills,
And ease our load of earthly ills;
But we, in traffic's rush and din
Too deep engaged to let them in,
With deadened heart and sense plod on,
Nor know our loss till they are gone.
This poem is in the public domain.
The Harris’s Sparrow is the only songbird that breeds exclusively in Canada, including the northeast corner of Saskatchewan. They can be spotted passing through the rest of our province during migration periods and may come to bird feeders.
The Harris’s Sparrow is one of Saskatchewan’s most at-risk birds. According to Audubon’s Survival by Degrees study, this species is estimated to lose 99% of its current summer range in the not-too-distant future as average global temperatures rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Climate experts believe we will reach 1.5°C as soon as the early 2030s, and projections suggest that the Harris’s Sparrow will only gain 2% in new areas within this time. If we allow global heating to progress at this rate, this species could lose 100% of its current summer range before 2050 (2°C).
Want to help? Visit the United Nations website for a list of actions that you can take!
Photograph courtesy of Nick Saunders
This project is supported by SK Arts
