The tale of the tormented tree sparrow

For this week’s Living World on BBC Radio 4, I had to travel a surprisingly long way – a 248 mile round trip to be precise – to meet what used to be one of our most common birds; the tree sparrow. Due to changes in agriculture and outright persecution, the likes of which few species have ever seen, the humble tree sparrow has been wiped out completely in some parts of the world, and is in spectacular decline here in the UK. To hear the tale of the delightful but tormented tree sparrow tune in again to the programme by clicking here

Illustration copyright RSPB.org