"Sparrows are a protected species?"
With all the hysteria about gun ownership and discharge in the U.S., sparrows, crows, etc. are also protected species in the U.S. The crow population here in Florida is clearly, seriously out of control.
Crows in NY are pretty out of control, too. Every year they try to have a crow shoot in Auburn and all the bleeding heart animal rights people won't stand for it. Yet the birds are causing a lot of damage to the farmers. I was in Auburn one time and the way the crows were thick and flying around and cawing, it reminded me of the movie, "The Birds". It was really, really creepy.