Department of Agriculture and Food Karratha manager Richard Watkins said employees from McDermott Industries (Aust.) Pty Ltd had first sighted the sparrows on a derrick barge 40 kilometres north-west of the Montebello island group, off the WA coast.

Mr Watkins said the barge had travelled from south-east Asia, where there is an abundance of sparrows.

“Department biosecurity officers visited the barge and were able to remove the three birds,” he said.

Tree sparrows are declared pests in Western Australia and often found near sea ports, after arriving on ships from Asia.

“Over the last few years sparrows have been discovered in Albany, Australind, Bridgetown, Bunbury, Burrup Peninsula, Dampier, Esperance, Fremantle, Garden Island, Geraldton, Kwinana, Leeming (Perth), Port Hedland, Point Sampson, Roebourne and Two Rocks,” Mr Watkins said.

“Sparrows have the potential to damage cultivated grain and horticulture crops, spread disease and compete with native birds for food. They can also damage buildings through nesting, roosting and feeding.”

Tree sparrows are about 15cms long and look similar to finches but are slightly plumper. They are brown or dark grey, with a streaked back and a wedge-shaped beak.

Mr Watkins congratulated McDermott Industries (Aust) Pty Ltd and Woodside employees working on the barge for their vigilance and for reporting these pest birds.

“The discovery of the sparrows highlights the need for members of the public, particularly those living near ports and on off-shore facilities, to report any unusual birds quickly, so they can be monitored and removed from the wild as soon as possible,” he said.

Chris Amey, environmental compliance coordinator for McDermott Industries (Aust) Pty Ltd, said company employees had taken the appropriate course of action in reporting sightings of the birds.

* Any sightings of sparrows or other unusual, exotic birds should be reported immediately to the Department of Agriculture and Food’s Karratha Office on 9143 7000 or alternatively freecall 1800 084 881