{
  "id": 1679522,
  "title": "New Zealand released 40 sparrows for pests, then paid bounties to kill them",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/new-zealand-released-40-sparrows-for-pests-then-paid-bounties-to-kill",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-18T08:40:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/in-1867-canterbury-released-40-house-sparrows-to-eat-crop-pests-within-15-years-new-zealand-was-poisoning-the-birds-and-paying-bounties-after-they-began-stripping-grain-crops/articleshow/133313299.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "New Zealand introduced house sparrows in 1867 hoping they would help farmers control crop-eating insects. The birds multiplied quickly and soon became a problem, feeding on grains and fruit and damaging wheat, barley and maize crops. Their rapid rise led to organised efforts to control them, including poisoned grain, shooting and bounties for eggs and heads. The story was part of a wider push to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}