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espanolAlgunas referencias bibliograficas, actuales y pasadas, senalan la abrupta llegada de una misteriosa plaga de aves, parecidas a los gorriones, al sureste de la peninsula iberica en 1779. Partiendo de dichas referencias, en este estudio hemos investigado en fuentes documentales ineditas de distintos archivos historicos, donde se recogen las medidas que adoptaron contra esta plaga diferentes autoridades. Algunos de estos relatos provienen de testigos directos, que a veces aportaron datos de interes sobre la biologia de las aves y de su procedencia. Del analisis de esos datos se desprende que esta plaga fue provocada por un paseriforme no habitual en el sureste de la peninsula iberica. Las aves irrumpieron en gran numero en mayo de 1779 en algunas localidades de las actuales provincias de Alicante, Murcia y Almeria, probablemente procedentes del norte de Africa. Los danos causados en los cultivos de cereal debieron ser significativos y la extraordinaria alarma que suscito en la poblacion motivo la intervencion tanto de autoridades locales como de instituciones estatales. Las aves formaron grandes colonias en arboles y construyeron muchos nidos por arbol. Planteamos diferentes hipotesis en relacion con la identificacion taxonomica de estas aves, dentro de las familias Ploceidae y Passeridae. Finalmente sugerimos que la especie cuya distribucion, morfologia, caracteristicas y comportamiento concuerda mejor con los testimonios analizados es el gorrion moruno Passer hispaniolensis, por lo que creemos que pudo ser el protagonista de esta plaga historica. EnglishSeveral current and past bibliographical references mention the sudden pest outbreak of a mysterious sparrow–like bird in the southeastern Iberian peninsula in 1779. Based on these references, we investigated unpublished documentary sources from various historical archives that reflected the actions carried out by public authorities against the bird pest. Some narratives come from direct witnesses who sometimes provided relevant data on the origin and biology of the birds involved. From the analysis and interpretation of these data, it was clear that the bird outbreak was caused by an unusual passerine in southeastern Iberia. In May 1779, birds irrupted in large numbers into several localities in the current provinces of Alicante, Murcia and Almeria, probably coming from North Africa. Damage caused to cereal crops was meaningful and the extraordinary alarm generated in the people motivated the intervention of both local authorities and government institutions. The birds formed large arboreal colonies, building multiple nests per tree. We discuss different hypotheses related to the taxonomic position of these birds within the Ploceidae and Passeridae families. The bird species whose distribution, morphology, life characteristics and behaviour agrees best with the testimonies analysed is the Spanish sparrow Passer hispaniolensis. We propose that this sparrow could be the protagonist of this historic bird pest outbreak.

The mysterious bird outbreak of 1779 in southeastern Iberian peninsula: a massive irruption of the Spanish sparrow Passer hispaniolensis from Africa?