The sparrows living on Sharia Nabil El Wakkad in the Dokki district of Cairo enjoy a rich environment. Large trees shelter them with year-round foliage — useful for sleeping — and the massive concrete buildings have chinks on their outer walls big enough for nest-building. A maze of balcony rails, electrical and telephone wires, air conditioning drains and suction lines covers each structure, so the birds have abundant opportunities for clinging and frolicking. Twice a day I would set out rice on the ledge outside our dining room window, and the sparrows visited continuously throughout sunlight hours.