Spug

I was surprised to find that House Sparrows have other, local, common names. Then I was shocked that so many people I know knew them. Spug, Spuggie and Spadger got immediate recognition from friends. I’ve always known them as Sparrows.

House Sparrow - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Whatever you call them, they’re little stunners.

6 Responses to "Spug"

elisabeth says:

23 February, 2023 at 9:31 am

I love the photo! They’re my favourite bird amidst all the other stunning and interesting ones, and I am deeply worried that their number has greatly decreased, at least in Switzerland, and is still decreasing…
The Eurasian Tree Sparrow (passer montanus, Feldsperling) too is in decline, of course, due to destruction of his/her habitat. What a colossal parasite mankind has become!!!

Reply
1. David @ the HALL of EINAR says:
  
  25 February, 2023 at 12:31 pm
  
  Thanks so much Elisabeth. Yes, Sparrows were my gateway drug to nature addiction, and losing them will remove a vital way into nature for many young people. I hope we manage to reverse their decline.
  
  Reply
Heather Owens says:

24 February, 2023 at 9:21 am

Enjoying the current noisy bustle of ‘Spuggies’ vying for nest sites in the house eaves. They seem to use the Swift nests and vacate before their return. Where I grew up though, ‘Spuggy’ was slang for chewing gum and ‘Spuggy Legs’ a disparaging name for someone tall and thin!!

Reply
1. David @ the HALL of EINAR says:
  
  25 February, 2023 at 12:33 pm
  
  Yes, there’s something very welcoming and homely about sharing our houses with birds where we can. ‘Spuggy legs’ is brilliant.
  
  Reply
Debbie says:

5 June, 2024 at 6:53 am

I am currently in Monemvasia in the Peloponnesus area of Greece and the sound of spuggies surrounding our hotel Is absolutely wonderful. I have also discovered the Greek word for sparrow is spourgitis and I do wonder if this is maybe the origin of our word spuggie. I like to think so

Reply
1. David @ the HALL of EINAR says:
  
  5 June, 2024 at 5:46 pm
  
  Lovely. Yes, the word ‘Spug’ is ancient and shared by all the languages which have their root in Proto-Indo-European. The Greek word for Sparrow is from the Proto-Hellenic and the English word for Sparrow is originally from Proto- Germanic. Humans have had a long relationship with Sparrows, known them, loved them, and named them consistently for thousands of years.
  It’s such a shame that they’re now threatened and many people on Facebook post poor photographs of them asking what they are.
  We’ve broken our relationship with the natural world.
  
  Reply

Spug

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