Sparrows, rarely seen in cities lately. Surveys say numbers fell up to 80% versus 20 years ago, to one-tenth of 50 years ago. Reasons cited include fewer nest sites as wooden houses decline, less grassland and seed food in urban areas, more crows preying on chicks—but causes remain unclear.
Yet at Palaceside Building in Takebashi, Tokyo, charming sparrows appear. They seem to nest in the gap between aluminum sunshades and glass on the Marubeni building side east of the building; on sunny mornings, a family of sparrows about 10 cm long emerges from the shade gap, chirping while watching cars and pedestrians on Hakusan-dori. Before entering from the Hitotsubashi entrance around noon, look up at the aluminum shades on floors 1–3.