Can London get its sparrows back?

House Sparrows have lived alongside Londoners for hundreds of years. As neighbours, they could hardly be better: sociable, vociferous, full of character and seemingly perpetually cheerful. Once their early-morning chorus of jovial chirruping was the standard wake-up call across the capital; and yet for many today, it's becoming a distant memory.

House Sparrow, Etherow CP, Greater Manchester (Photo: Anthony Dixon)

There's no straightforward answer why 'Cockney Sparrows' are becoming hard to find in many inner-city boroughs. Research continues, but several factors, when taken together, go a long way towards explaining why our neighbours have fallen on such hard times. Among the most obvious reasons are:

• loss of nest sites in existing buildings, and lack of nest sites in new build;
• loss of so-called wasteland and brownfield sites, so valuable for sparrows as a year-round food source;
• loss of 'semi-wild' areas in gardens and communal areas, often sacrificed for decking, driveways or lawns;
• loss of thick shrubs and creepers for security, roosting, feeding and breeding.

Some or all of these factors have also led to the decline of other city birds, such as Swift, Song Thrush, Dunnock and Starling. The methods that could help reverse their declines (and benefit a whole range of other species in the process) are broadly the same. But they will remain just methods as long as communities stay disconnected from the birds and wildlife around them. And that's what our Cockney Sparrow project is trying to change.

There's no quick fix that will bring sparrows back into urban areas. But the wildlife gardening tips below will certainly help them, especially where there are still colonies nearby. If you can strengthen those colonies, there's more chance of a healthier population, which can perhaps be encouraged to spread back to its former haunts.

• Leave openings under roof tiles, guttering and eves unblocked. House Sparrows rely on them for nest sites.
• Encourage thick shrubs and creepers. Sparrows need them for security, roosting, socialising, feeding and breeding. Hawthorn, blackthorn, ivy and honeysuckle are ideal.
• Provide food and water all year round. It helps many urban birds, including sparrows. They love seed feeders, bird tables and access to drinking and bathing water.
• Encourage sparrow-friendly habitat where possible, even if it's just a corner left to go wild. Natural, grassy areas are a haven for the insects and seeds they need.
• Spread the word among your neighbours and fellow residents.

House Sparrow, Fawley, Herefordshire (Photo: Brian Davis)

We want to encourage Londoners to bring their wildlife back. Our partner is Peabody, a social landlord whose forward thinking has helped us forge positive relationships with stakeholders all across London. From the estate tenants and residents themselves, to on-site Peabody staff, local schools, community groups, nurseries, older people's groups, youth clubs and faith groups, we're successfully preaching the gospel of urban bird conservation, with immensely satisfying results for both people and wildlife. The key is to get local people involved in hands-on conservation work: planting hedges, grasses and flowers in schools, open spaces and estates to create habitat and insect food; making roosting boxes; visiting wildlife reserves and green spaces in London; and recording wildlife.

Engaging with local children will be key to the success of the Cockney Sparrow project (photo: Mark Pearson).

Doing these things inspires a sense of ownership and connection between local people and the environment around them. With knowledge comes a sense of responsibility, and everyone's a winner. One of our funders is the Big Lottery's Activate London project, which gives communities the chance to enjoy and understand the often unnoticed birdlife on their doorsteps, and so promote physical and mental wellbeing. At our Cockney Sparrow events (imagine a wildlife fair on the village green, transplanted into an urban housing estate) that's exactly what happens. The reaction of Peabody residents, and of many other people on and around our estates, has been overwhelmingly positive.

Young birders in the making (photo: Mark Pearson).

One of countless examples is Nasser, a nine-year-old from the Whitechapel Estate in the heart of the East End. Nasser's house and primary school are in an area of considerable deprivation. He first appeared at our Whitechapel launch event, and told me how he "hated birds" and "didn't see the point in helping them". But after showing a guarded interest in further events and activities on the estate and at his school, he came on a trip to a local nature reserve, saying, "I wanna see a hawk". Sometimes the gods are with you, and a female Sparrowhawk decided to fly straight towards us at head height, veering away at the last second. Nasser now spends his breaks watching birds in the school grounds, helps run the school's wildlife club, keeps a wildlife diary and has got all his mates involved. The Cockney Sparrow project is into its second year, and House Sparrows, other wildlife and the local communities that live alongside them are already benefiting.