House sparrows are extremely vulnerable in the UK. They are now absent from many urban areas. Up close they are very attractive birds and are interesting to study. We call them "the mob" when they show up in numbers, about once or twice a day, and we love 'em. We wouldn't let the builder seal off our eaves as we wanted them to carry on nesting in our roof. This afternoon a great fit swooped in on a peanut feeder and physically knocked a coal tit clean off it. Bully!