1 Investigating the role of socioeconomic status in determining urban habitat quality for the house sparrow, Passer domesticus SUBMITTED BY LORNA MARGARET SHAW TO THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER AS A THESIS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN BIOLOGY; 29 TH SEPTEMBER 2009. This thesis is available for use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other university. ……………………………………………………………