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More Introduced Species
Feb 2, 2009 | by Adrian Binns
![](https://notesfromthewildside.com/wp-content/uploads/images/House-Sparrow-BINNS-IMG_901.jpg)
Maybe the most infamous of the lot is the House Sparrow (above), introduced to Brooklyn in 1851 by those believing that they would be beneficial controllers of pest insects. By 1869 they had reached Philadelphia and became abundant by the end of the century. To some they are now the pests.
Mute Swans (above) were introduced from Europe as an ornamental bird to ‘decorate’ Long Island, NY ponds in 1910. It was not long after that that they showed up in New Jersey. By the 30’s they appeared in Pennsylvania and two decades later were in Delaware.
![](https://notesfromthewildside.com/wp-content/uploads/images/House-Finch-BINNS-c-IMG_308.jpg)
I hesitate to mention Monk Parakeet and Eurasian Collared-Dove as neither has established a breeding colony and any small population we have in this area is likely to have come as a result of escaping from the local pet trade in the late 1980’s or more recently.
![](https://notesfromthewildside.com/wp-content/uploads/images/rock-pigeon-BINNS-IMG_7328.jpg)
all photos © adrian and jane binns