Domino sparrow
{{Short description|Dutch house sparrow}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox animal
| name = Domino sparrow
| image = Dominomus.jpg
| caption = The sparrow's remains on display at the Natural History Museum Rotterdam
| othername = {{langx|nl|Dominomus}}
| species = House sparrow
| death_date = 14 November 2005
| death_place = Frisian Expo Centre, Leeuwarden
| death_cause = Death by firearm
| resting_place = Natural History Museum Rotterdam
| known_for = Toppling 23,000 domino tiles
}}
The domino sparrow ({{langx|nl|dominomus}}) was a house sparrow (Passer domesticus) that was shot and killed by a hunter from the company Duke Faunabeheer in the Frisian Expo Centre in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, during preparations for Domino Day on 14 November 2005. With only four days to go until Domino Day 2005, the bird flew into the building and landed on several domino tiles, eventually causing 23,000 of them (out of 4.3 million) to fall.{{cite news|url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1777913,00.html|title=Death by Domino|date=15 November 2005|publisher=Deutsche Welle|accessdate=12 January 2009|archive-date=5 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005160613/http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1777913,00.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2005-11-14-domino-bird_x.htm|title=Sparrow knocks over 23,000 dominoes before being shot|date=14 November 2005|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=12 January 2009|archive-date=28 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228111218/http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2005-11-14-domino-bird_x.htm|url-status=live}} Because of the protective gaps that were placed between groups of dominoes, the damage was limited. Faunabeheer was hired to remove the unwanted intruder from the centre. After trying to capture the sparrow with nets and sticks, the company decided to shoot the bird.
Controversy
The Dierenbescherming, a large animal protection organisation, went to court against Faunabeheer and the production company Endemol for their actions against the domino sparrow. The public prosecutor fined the shooter €200 ({{inflation|EU|200|2005|fmt=eq|cursign=€}}){{inflation/fn|EU}} for illegally killing an animal belonging to a protected species.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nu.nl/news/639511/10/Boete_voor_doden_dominomus_(video).html|title=Boete voor doden dominomus (Video)|language=nl|date=9 December 2005|access-date=2 April 2007|archive-date=5 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205164449/http://www.nu.nl/news/639511/10/Boete_voor_doden_dominomus_%28video%29.html|url-status=live}}
After several Dutch newspapers and television stations announced what had happened in the Frisian Expo Centre, several animal rights organisations, popular blogs like GeenStijl and radio DJs like Ruud de Wild devoted time and attention to the subject. They claimed that killing an animal in order to save a television show was a low deed and accused the shooter of having no respect for animal life. De Wild said that he was willing to give a €3,000 reward ({{inflation|EU|3000|2005|fmt=eq|cursign=€}}){{inflation/fn|EU}} to anyone who toppled the dominoes before the start of the event, although nobody did it.{{cite news|url=http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/local_news/killer-of-domino-toppling-sparrow-threatened-25311.html|title=Killer of Domino-toppling sparrow threatened|date=15 November 2005|publisher=Expatica News|accessdate=12 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605001304/http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/local_news/killer-of-domino-toppling-sparrow-threatened-25311.html|archive-date=5 June 2011|url-status=dead}}
A month after the sparrow's death, the Dutch Public Prosecutor gave the bird's remains to the Natuurhistorisch Museum in Rotterdam, as requested by its curator Kees Moeliker. The museum stuffed the dead bird and displayed it in an exhibition on the house sparrow from November 2006 until May 2007. The bird was subsequently moved to an exhibition containing dead animals with famous backstories.{{cite web|url=http://www.hetnatuurhistorisch.nl/exposities/vast-dode-dieren-met-een-verhaal/|title=Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam: Dode dieren met een Verhaal|date=11 November 2013|language=nl|access-date=11 November 2013|archive-date=21 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221012721/http://www.hetnatuurhistorisch.nl/exposities/vast-dode-dieren-met-een-verhaal/|url-status=dead}}
In 2019, it was reported that even almost a decade and a half after the incident, the hunter who killed the bird still received death threats.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/laatste-videos-nieuws/video/4689851/arie-schoot-2005-de-dominomus-dood-hij-wordt-nog-steeds|title=Arie schoot in 2005 de dominomus dood, hij wordt nog steeds bedreigd|date=25 April 2019|language=nl|access-date=20 March 2025|archive-date=22 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922090158/https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/laatste-videos-nieuws/video/4689851/arie-schoot-2005-de-dominomus-dood-hij-wordt-nog-steeds|url-status=live}}