Concerned over the dwindling population of house sparrows, those diminutive birds that first connected you to nature as a child and left a lasting impression?
Then join the global campaign to attract sparrows back to your home by creating a little space for them. Tweaking the earlier themes slightly, World Sparrow Day (March 20) organisations involved in the conservation of house sparrows are coming together to work for “House the sparrow” this year.
Mohammed Dilawar of the Nature Forever Society that has been in the forefront of conserving house sparrows across the country said, “This year, we want people to throw open their homes, welcome and make sparrows part of their families.”
“We do not intend to make it just a one-day event to raise public awareness about the decline of the house sparrow and throw light on the problems faced by the species in its daily fight for survival, but inspire people to take concrete steps.”
These include adopting a nest box, a feeder and providing food and clean drinking water every day. “By adopting a nest box (for details click www.natureforever.org) you are giving sparrows a home and helping them start their own family. As it has increasingly become difficult to find food and water, the next step should be to provide them. Grains such as broken rice or bajra can be filled into the scientifically designed feeders that can be hung in balconies or windows. If this is done continuously, our experience shows the return of sparrows back to localities that they were deserted earlier.”
Such sustained efforts are required to save the sparrows considering the pace of degradation of their immediate environment. “While significant attention has been paid by experts as well as the government to conserve endangered and exotic wildlife species like the tigers and elephants, common animals, birds and plants face a bleak future due to general neglect and oversight. A case in point is the Indian vulture, once widespread species that is now on the brink of extinction.”
The reasons for the house sparrows' slow but noticeable disappearance has been labelled as one of the biggest mysteries of recent times, he said. A leading newspaper in the United Kingdom - a country that has witnessed one of the biggest declines of the house sparrow population in recent times - declared a cash prize to anyone who could solve the mystery. Needless to say, the reward remains unclaimed, he added.
Keywords: World Sparrow Day, house sparrows
This year we are proud to say that 51 young birds have left their nests into this unforgiving world from my home. With a little bit of cooperation lots of enthusism and all of us at home unitedly fed, then took care of them and volla--the next set is already preparing their nests again for summer . Thank u sir for people like u sparrows can have a bit of future
At the outset,I must thank The Hindu for publishing the story 'The World Sparrow Day' by K Venkateshwarlu.I am myself a sparrow-lover.My poem 'Sparrows' appeared recently in a Telugu Monthly.Years ago,I read a book 'Silent Spring' written by Rachel Carson.It was published in the U S in 1962.It turned out to be both popular and controversial.In this book,Carson effectively argued for outlawing insecticides, which are capable of causing immense harm to both human and animal life.Will sparrow -lovers take time off their busy schedule to read this book?
There is no mystery behind the disappearance.Increasing use of pesticides led to dwindling of sparrow population.
This is Truly Great Initiative to SAVE SPARROWS by Mohammed Dilawar of the Nature Forever Society. Sparrows are really part of our life since Childhood and now very soon it will get extinct until we all in group to Step up and start working on to saving the life by caring & feeding the sparrows. Everyone must be thinking of doing but Dilawarji did great task by his pro-active approach. I would love to be part of this Initiative to give my best of effort by keeping Nest in the Balcony and feeding them. Look forward to Advice and Support of Mr. Mohammed Dilawar of the Nature Forever Society.
I don't know if others have noticed this too, but I find a disproportionate increase in density of common house pigeons together with a dwindling population of sparrows.
May be it has something to do with the type of feed we provide to the birds in general (maize V/s broken rice)?? May be its Darwinism acting in the vast urban sprawls where common pigeons are proving to be winners.
I use to throw a sizable qty of broken rice on the terrace for the large no of waiting sparrows every morning 20 yrs back. It will give immense joy. When we protected a chick that strayed in our house in a cage, the mother would dutifully bring food to it every day. To save a sparrow that strayed in a late evening and sat on the only fan in our house, all my family members slept the whole night without fan ( no A/c either)then during a scorching summer. Empathy and concern for other living beings is waning down.Parents and teachers should emphasize on this aspect to children. I plan to erect a huge wooden structure with multiple nesting provision on our roof top.
Mushrooming mobile towers have dwindled not only sparrows but honey bees etc. Is Radiation also the cause from mobile towers affecting health of nearby humans living
Amazing effort, thanks for the article. I never reliazed sparrows in decline. I will definitely do something about it, atleast keep a cup of clean water on the roof.
On my recent trip to Mangalore I noticed there was not a single sparrow! Bulbuls were scarce and the dawn and dusk call of the precious cuckoo bird was absent. High in the sky were large eagles and other birds of prey. Birds are a very crucial part of our ecosystem. On an average a bird eats a thousand small insects per day! If the birds were to go extinct Earth and humans will be covered with insects! There would be no food to eat. Goa, sadly turned into a Garbage state, stinking everywhere, a far cry from those days. However it still boasts of a large variety of birds and I went on a bird watch trip and was quite delighted to see, Kingfishers of many varieties, golden oriole, rollers,mynas, bulbuls, nonstop vocalists, magpie robins, parrots, owls cuckoos, drongos, all kinds of wild ducks, herons water birds... Bird seed and bird bath will bring sparrows to your house.
Let us all follow suit Mr.Utkal Sharma in ensuring a BRIGHT FUTURE from a BLEAK FUTURE to these little chirpy house sparrows that CONNECTED US TO NATURE as a child and left lasting impression which are fast dwindling and now on the brink of extinction.Appreciating the efforts of Mr.Mohammed Dilawar of NFS in this regard, wish him all success in his endeavor.
Many say that the mushrooming of mobile towers has the worst effect on
sparrows. They have fallen behind in their struggle for survival. But
then, lost in our own competitive worlds and craze for good living, how
many of us bother to think about tiny sparrows?
nice thought....will definitely look for feasibility in my home. Seriously miss them.
A pair of sparrows has built a small nest inside the wooden box through which the exhaust pipe of my kitchen chimney runs. There is a small opening on the outer wall of my kitchen through which the exhaust pipe is taken out. The birds made this hole their entrance. Perhaps the female bird will be laying eggs in a few days as they are busy throughout the day adding more materials to build their tiny abode. Fearing that the sound of the kitchen chimney may disturb them or spoil their eggs or may even scare them away, I have decided not to run the chimney till birds have their chicks fully grown up. I was thinking of making nest box of wood but dropped the idea because at this point of time they are not likely to shift their nest to another place. I am eagerly waiting to hear the chirping of their chicks. I wish my best to the sparrow couple.
Mohamed Dilavar,I salute you in the noble cause you have started.Long time ago a Doctor friend of mine started a movement to save the decreasing nos.of sparrows, eagles.I SHALL MAKE an effort to involve more persons in this noble cause.
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