The goal of this new project is to understand how varying environmental conditions such as water availability, noise level, and land use affect the welfare of a common animal you’re probably familiar with, the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Our research team will record audio and video at a variety of sites where house sparrows live, and then analyze their behavior and vocalizations.

The house sparrow project has the potential to produce groundbreaking data that will be useful to scientists in numerous fields, including urban ecology, animal behavior, and climate science. And ultimately, we hope research like this will influence urban development policies so that animal welfare is taken into consideration.

But right now there’s a gap between the amount of funding we’ve already secured to get the project off the ground, and the amount of funding that would allow the project to reach its greatest potential. Our research team estimates they will need $70,000 to maximize the project’s rigor and reach.

We envision a future in which even house sparrows — a species that is typically ignored at best, and despised at worst — will be understood and valued as individuals. A world where people want to help wild animals like these common birds, and they’re equipped with the research they need to do so responsibly.

Each research project will take us one step closer, and we’re counting on wild animal advocates like you to help us get there.