Hematological Parameters as A Tool to Study Captive House Sparrows (Passer Domesticus)

Abstract

During the era of extinction, bringing organisms to captivity is an effective method for conservation of declining populations. Keeping house sparrow in captivity was an effort to understand whether captivity affects physiology and behaviors of this species or not. In this study we focused on hematological parameters to study the physiology of Passer domesticus. The birds were kept in captivity in summer and winter for a couple of months and tested for hematological parameters. Platelets and MCH remained lower in captive birds, while WBCs remained higher during winter. During summer, maximum parameters remained similar to wild ones. Summer captivity was more successful than winter. Stress indicated by H/L ratio was higher in both seasons. Sparrows didn’t breed in captivity. The group behavior in winter probably to keep them warm, was observed. The current is the first report for the first-time in-house sparrow.