I had the impression they were like sparrows in that they swarm all over food sources and are in particular a scourge for backyard birding because they'll kill off the birds you actually want to see (and consume a ton of seed while they're at it).
I have a feeder I put about two pounds of seed in a day. Doves, red-winged blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds, house finches and house sparrows all get their share. The sparrows aren't "swarming" anyone out. If anything the red-winged blackbirds are the bullies.
I have a bird house with a pair of sparrows. About 20" above that is a nest of breeding Robins that like a spot on the underside of my deck. The sparrows have never messed with the Robin nest in any way. There are eastern bluebirds nearby and the sparrows have caused no trouble for them either, despite the suitability of the house.
This "HOSP" hate is misplaced. Please don't hate on these birds. There are a couple pages on the Internet about the awful depredations of the terrible HOSP and so hating on them has become a fad.
House sparrows (and purple finches) are actually being crowded out by the house finch across North America. The house finch competes aggressively for nesting sites. But it's a pretty little bird so I don't expect any anti-house finch sites to pop up.
